


Cold Feet

by anonymouschupacabra (accordingtomyresearch)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Multi, Weddings, it's actually way funnier that it seems
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-23
Updated: 2016-12-23
Packaged: 2018-09-11 08:50:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 21,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8972869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/accordingtomyresearch/pseuds/anonymouschupacabra
Summary: “I was just upstairs checking on Lance and Keith,” she began and Shiro knew exactly where she was leading to. “And when I went to there rooms, neither of them were there! Lance’s wedding clothes were laid out on the bed— along with Hunk’s for some reason, and in Keith’s room his bag was gone and there was a note on the bed addressed to Lance. Shiro, I think they’ve both run.”Realizing now that he should have told his wife about all of this hours ago, Shiro nodded curtly, lifted his glass to his lips, and drank down the rest of his drink in one go. With a heavy exhale, he turned and set the now empty glass on the small table next to him.“Yes,” Shiro began not sure how he was going formulate the sentence. “I am...aware, that they are both out of the hotel.”





	

**Author's Note:**

> so this fic comes from binging the last season of HIMYM in one day and then going "I'M GOING TO WRITE A KLANCE WEDDING FIC" and then intending it to be a few thousand words and then ending up with a 21k monster. BUT I'M PROUD OF IT
> 
> update:[it now has a playlist!!!! ](https://open.spotify.com/user/accordingtomyresearch/playlist/1WT7Pg1w6ZlNftByEZT2du)

* * *

In the quiet of an otherwise bustling hotel, on the the top floor in his suite out on the balcony overlooking the calm coast, Lance stood with his hands gripped on the railing, completely petrified.

He swallowed, his hands tightening on the cool metal, trying to think safe, calming thoughts. But with every passing second he only grew more and more nervous. He reached up and loosened his navy blue bow tie, but it didn’t ease the pressure in his throat; the tight constricting feeling of a lump in his throat that was choking him more and more no matter how hard he tried to swallow it down. Lance took his trembling hand and smoothed down the front of his white tux jacket taking a deep breath, but he couldn’t find it in himself to calm down.

“Lance?” He turned his head slightly towards the sliding glass doors that led onto the balcony. “Lance are you in here?”

“Yeah,” Lance said, trying to hide the nerves in his voice. “I’m—I’m out on the balcony, Shiro.” He turned back to the view in front of him, hoping to calm himself before Shiro walked over, with no luck.

“Hey,” Shiro said sliding the glass door and stepping onto the balcony. “I was told you wanted to see me?”

“Yeah,” Lance nodded, quickly glancing at Shiro.

His friend was dressed to the nines, looking as amazing as he always did. This sleek black tux contrasted nicely with the deep red tie sitting nicely against his white shirt and waistcoat. Lance wasn’t even surprised to see that his hair and light makeup looked both expertly and effortlessly done. And that even as he looked at Lance with complete concern, he still appeared entirely at ease.

“What is it?” Shiro asked sliding the glass door behind him closed and leaning on the railing.

“......I can’t go through with this wedding,” Lance said just above a whisper.

He had expected Shiro’s face to drop into a look of confusion, perhaps with a dash of anger and plenty of helpings of panic. But instead, Shiro’s face broke into a soft smile. He let out a low chuckle and placed his hand  on Lance’s shoulder affectionately.

“Of course you can,” Shiro said softly.

“No, I really can’t,” Lance said feeling himself begin to get choked up.  
“Lance everybody has doubts on their wedding day, I had doubts on my wedding day,” Shiro comforted. “But cold feet doesn’t mean you’re making a horrible mistake, it means you’re scared and human.”

“You had doubts on your wedding day?” Lance asked, feeling both stunned and comforted by the news.

“Yeah,” Shiro nodded. “I mean, I didn’t really advertise it afterward by for a while there I had a bit of a panic attack.” Lance blinked up at him, watching Shiro grow bashful as he spoke. “Keith— your Keith who you’re so worried about here today— he calmed me down and told me that the only reason I had to doubt is if I wasn’t absolutely 100% sure that Allura was the person for me. If I couldn’t see myself being totally and completely happy with her.”

“And?” Lance asked.

“Well we’ve been married for 2 years so I’d say that Keith’s little speech worked,” Shiro grinned.

“Yeah sorry, stupid question,” Lance laughed weakly. He looked out onto the shore, watching a flock of seagulls swoop and fly circles on the ebbing waves. The churning in the pit of stomach seemed to let up just enough for him to take a deep breath.

“Look,” Shiro began. “I’m gonna tell you the same thing Keith told me 2 years ago ok?” Lance nodded looking up at Shiro, who took both of his hands and placed them on either of Lance’s shoulder making him face him.

“Ok,” Lance swallowed.  
“Is there any part of you that thinks that Keith is not the person for you? Are you 100% sure that you love him and that he loves you and you will be happy together?” Shiro asked looking Lance in the eyes.

“He’s the one for me,” Lance breathed, his whole body releasing the tension as he spoke.

“There you go,” Shiro smiled, letting go of Lance’s shoulders and releasing him. “Was that so hard?”

“No, you’re right,” Lance smiled sheepishly. “I was just… overreacting.”

“Nah, it happens,” Shiro shrugged. “Just know that it’s totally normal to have doubts but you just gotta know that at the end of today you and Keith will be married and you’ll back on this minor freak out and realize that it was so silly and you’ll laugh about it.”

“Yeah,” Lance chuckled. “I know. But I’m totally ok now.”

“You sure?” Shiro asked with slight skepticism.

“Totally. You always know what to say,” Lance nodded, adjusting his bow tie. “I’m fine. I’m getting married to best guy in the world and I’m not nervous at all.”

“Cool,” Shiro said feeling a little proud of himself for nipping Lance’s freak out in the bud. “I’m gonna go make sure all the wedding preparations are on their way ok?”

“Awesome, thanks you’re the best, man— Ha, get it? Because you’re Keith’s best man?” Lance joked.

“Very funny,” Shiro shook his head bemused. “I’m gonna go now.”

“Ok,” Lance said. “Oh and can you tell Hunk to come in here?”

“Yeah of course,” Shiro nodded reaching for the handle of the sliding glass door. “And remember, deep breaths.”

“Deep breaths, got it,” Lance said giving him two thumbs up.

“Good,” Shiro said stepping off the balcony and into Lance’s hotel suite. He closed the door behind him and crossed the room to the door and exited into the hallway.

Taking a deep breath himself, Shiro shook his head silently congratulating himself on stopping what could have been an incredibly destructive and possibly dangerous meltdown. He walked down the hallway and knocked on the door to the room a few doors down. He waited for a few seconds before he heard the door unlocking and opening.

“No Lance you can’t have a snickers, you’re wearing wh— oh wait it’s you Shiro,” Hunk said as he opened the door. “Hey what’s up?”

“Lance just had a bit of a panic attack, but don’t worry I calmed him down and now he’s totally ok,” Shiro informed him. “But he asked for you, so you should go in there. Make sure he’s ok and stuff.”

“Oh that’s weird, because Keith just asked for me too,” Hunk said shifting the side of his black tux jacket and placing his hand on his hip. Shiro raised his eyebrows and they looked at each other dubiously. Hunk broke first. “Nah, I’m sure he’s fine.”

“Yeah,” Shiro agreed with only a touch of doubt.

“Keith’s as cool as a cucumber, he’d never do anything rash,” Hunk said waving his hand dismissively. They both stared at each other as they both thought about what Hunk said. “I better get down there.”

“Yeah, go quickly,” Shiro nodded.

“Yeah,” Hunk said stepping out of his room and pulling the door close behind him. “I’m sure he’s fine and he called just to ask about Lance,” he rationalized as he speed-

walked to the staircase.

“I’m sure he just wants to make sure that you have the rings and stuff,” Shiro agreed, feeling less and less confident about their rationalizations the more they said it out loud.

“Probably, yeah,” Hunk said taking the stairs down two at a time. They both reached Keith’s floor and Hunk glanced back at Shiro. “You go do whatever you had to do, I got this,” Hunk said with not as much confidence as he would have liked.

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Shiro said.

“He–he totally is,” Hunk said, his hand gripping onto the door handle out onto the floor. “I’ll text you if anything.”

“Yes please,” Shiro exhaled.

“Ok,” Hunk said quickly opening the door onto the floor and heading for Keith’s room on the other end of the hallway. He was almost out of breath when he reached Keith’s room. Knocking on it quickly, he hoped that Keith hadn’t done anything rash and dumb. “Hey Keith? It’s me buddy, it’s Hunk.”

“Oh Hunk come in, it’s unlocked,” Keith said muffled from inside.

“Hey Keith, I’m glad you’re ok and not doing anything….rash…” Hunk trailed off as he saw what Keith was doing.

Dressed completely in his black tux with deep crimson bowtie and his hair slicked back fashionably, he had one slick black shoed foot on the windowsill and the other poised on the floor to climb out. In his hand was one end of a makeshift rope of several bedsheets tied together was coiled on the floor next to the bed where the other end was tied to the frame. The window was completely open, and the curtains (one of which had been recruited for the escape rope) was blowing in the light coastal breeze.

“Hey Hunk, I’m glad you’re here,” Keith said with a smile like he wasn’t doing something completely insane. “Can you hold the other end of this rope? I don’t really trust the bed frame to hold my weight.”

“What are you doing?” Hunk asked, slamming the door closed behind him.

“I’m trying to climb down, come on Hunk it’s obvious,” Keith said furrowing his brow at him.

“No I meant, why are you climbing out your window,” Hunk looked down at his watch, “5 and a half hours before your wedding!?”

“Because there’s not going to be a wedding,” Keith sighed, pulling his foot off the window and taking a step towards the bed. He unbuttoned his tux jacket and sat down on the bed. “I can’t go through with this.”

“What? Of course you can,” Hunk said walking over and sitting down on the bed next to Keith.

“No, no I can’t,” Keith shook his head.

“Being nervous is ok, you just have cold feet,” Hunk said comfortingly, placing his hand on Keith’s back. “But that doesn’t mean you should climb out your window.”

“I’m not climbing out my window because I’m nervous,” Keith exhaled heavily. “I’m climbing out my window because…”

“Because what?” Hunk asked.

“Because I can’t get married,” Keith said quietly.  

“Why?” Hunk said completely flabbergasted.

“I just can’t,” Keith said dropping his face in his hands. “I can’t get married, I’m not… I’m not marriage material.”

“Says who?” Hunk frowned. “Lance obviously thinks you are.”

“He’s wrong, I just can’t…. I can’t go through with this,” Keith said running his hand through his hair.

“You’re saying that your boyfriend of 6 years is wrong about you?” Hunk asked. “The guy who has been with you through your emo phase and your Twilight phase.”

“He’s the one who had an emo phase and a Twilight phase,” Keith said.

“The point is, he loves you more than anything,” Hunk said rubbing his back comfortingly. “Lance wouldn’t have proposed to you if he didn’t think you were the one for him.”

“But…” Keith frowned, wringing his hands. “What if… what if he’s wrong.”

“About what?”

“About me, about us, about our future,” Keith explained making vague motions in the air. “What if… we’re not supposed to be together?”

“Do you really believe that?” Hunk said quietly.

“No… yes… maybe… I don’t know,” Keith sighed. “I just… I’m not sure if I can ever be sure that we belong together. That this step isn’t some horrible mistake only future us knows. That he and I aren’t doing the wrong thing here.”

“Well… does this feel wrong?” Hunk asked. “Does getting married feel like the right decision?”

“I don’t know,” Keith said looking defeated.

“Ok…” Hunk nodded beginning to feel overwhelmed. “Well if you’re having these doubts, maybe you should talk to Lance—”

“No! He can’t know! Please don’t tell him,” Keith begged grabbing Hunk by the lapels in his tux jacket. “I just… I just need to figure this out on my own.”

“But maybe he could—”

“No Hunk.”

“But—”

“NO.”

“B—”

“No.”

Hunk frowned at Keith, glaring at him. “Fine,” he gave in, against his better judgement. “I won’t say anything to Lance, even though I think you should talk to him.”

“I’d rather not bother Lance with this...this is… this is on me. I have to figure this stuff out. On my own,” Keith said seriously.

“But Keith,” Hunk began. “He's gonna be your husband. You're gonna be a team, a team that makes decisions together and discusses things with one another. Should you begin your marriage by not talking to him?”

“I know what you're saying…” Keith said looking lost. “But I need to just think about this on my own. It's my last thing I decide on my own.”

“Ok,” Hunk sighed. “But you only have,” he looked down at his watch, “5 hours and 26 minutes to figure it out.”

“I can do it,” Keith nodded standing up from the bed, adjusting his black tux jacket.

“No more climbing out the window though,” Hunk warned standing up.

“I promise,” Keith chuckled.

“Ok I believe you,” Hunk said skeptically. “But I'm taking this with me,” he said grabbing the bed sheet rope and gathering it in his arms.

“I don't need it,” Keith said calmly. “I've got some thinking to do. Thanks Hunk.”

“No problem Keith,” Hunk smiled. He turned and walked towards the door before pausing in place and turning around to say one last thing. “Hey Keith, if it's any consolation or comfort, you're marrying my best friend in the whole wide world and I don't doubt you guys together at all.”

“Thanks Hunk,” Keith said like it actually had meant a lot that Hunk said that.

“You're welcome,” Hunk said going for the door again before he turned to say one last thing. “Oh and for the record you're also my best friend in the whole wide world.”

“Lance already had called dibs on you as his best man,” Keith shrugged with a smile.

“All I'm saying is we could have done a duel best man thing where I’m standing in the middle between the— you know what, it doesn't matter,” Hunk cut himself off. “Think about it. Get married in 5 hours and 24 minutes.”

“Ok Hunk,” Keith nodded.

With that, Hunk opened the door with his free hand and stepped out into the hallway pulling the door closed behind him. He carried the bedsheet rope down the hall until he found a maid and apologetically handed her the makeshift rope, though she seemed to take it in stride and acted like it was not the first bedsheet rope she had been handed. Fixing his jacket his took the stairs up to Lance's floor hoping that his best friend would be a lot more reasonable than his groom to be.

“Hey Lance you wanted to see me?” Hunk said knocking on Lance’s door as he opened it. “Are you—oh my god what are you doing?”

“Here,” Lance said chucking a pair of jeans and a tshirt at Hunk. “Change your clothes we're going out.”

“Why have you changed out of your wedding tux!?” Hunk asked watching in shock as Lance zipped and buttoned up his jeans. His white tux jacket, waistcoat, shirt, and black dress pants lay neatly placed on the bed with the navy bowtie undone and folded on the jacket. He now wore a pair of worn comfortable looking jeans and blue and gray shirt.

“Because I don’t want to get it all messed up now hurry up and change,” Lance instructed, sitting down on the bed to pull on his sneakers.

“But...why...I’m… oh god,” Hunk sighed giving in and walking over to the bed to place his clothes down. He began to carefully change out of his tux while he watched Lance out of the corner of his eye type furiously on his phone. “What are we doing Lance?” he asked exasperatedly as he changed his clothes.

“We are going out my pal,” Lance said briefly looking up from his phone. “I’ve got some errands to run.”

“Errands?” Hunk said skeptically as he fought to pull his jeans up. “You have to run errands, 5 hours and 20 minutes before your wedding.”

“Yup,” Lance nodded, smiling at him as he slipped his phone into his back pocket.

“You’ve officially gone insane,” Hunk said shaking his head. “I–I–I don’t understand. Shiro told me that he talked to you, that you were calm and ok and rational— well I kinda inferred that part but still. What happened? What changed?”

“Well while Shiro was telling me about what he and Keith talked about on his wedding day, it got me thinking about where I was on Shiro’s wedding day,” Lance said turning to the mirror to check his reflection. “More specifically what Allura told me on her wedding day when I was helping her get ready.”

“This can’t be good,” Hunk said to himself.

“Hunk have you ever heard of the rhyme: something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue?” Lance asked, ignoring Hunk’s comment.

“That? That’s an old wives tale, just some archaic luck spell thingy that’s completely made up,” Hunk said already sensing where Lance was leading to.

“Well Allura had made sure to get together all those things for her wedding, and I was thinking,” Lance continued, spinning in place and leaning back against the dresser. “If I get those items for my wedding it’ll be exactly what this wedding day was missing and I’ll feel 10000% better.”

“Lance I don’t think—”  
“Come on Hunk,” Lance grinned. “Where’s your sense of adventure?”

“I must have left it at home because I only have my sense of time management and rational decision making.”

“Hunk,” Lance said flatly. “Come on. It’ll be so quick no one will even notice we’re gone. One hour, two max.”

“... Fine,” Hunk gave in as he gave in reluctantly, quickly finishing pulling on his jeans. “So do you know what you’re getting for these items?”

“You bet I do,” Lance grinned.

“Oh god, I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Hunk groaned pulling on his t-shirt.

“Relax Hunk,” Lance said walking over to the door. He opened it carefully and looked both ways down the hall before motioning to Hunk to follow him.

“Lance—Lance wait I gotta get my shoes on— he’s gone,” Hunk said clumsily pulling on the sneakers Lance had left for him. “I really hate him,” Hunk said under his breath as he pulled his shoes on.

“No you don’t,” Lance said sticking his head back in the doorway.

“No I don’t,” Hunk admitted annoyed. “But I am seriously reconsidering how much I indulge you.”

“Yeah, yeah whatever. Come on Hunk,” Lance said patting the doorway.

“I’m… coming…” Hunk said reluctantly. He followed Lance out of the room, grabbing his phone off the bed and walking behind him towards the elevator as Lance made a show of making sure the coast was clear for them sneaking out of the hotel.

While they waited for the elevator and Lance was distracted by something on his phone, Hunk took the opportunity to text Shiro to let him know that his little calming speech to Lance had the completely opposite effect. And that now Hunk had to leave with Lance to ensure that on this excursion his best friend didn’t die, and made it make to his wedding on time.

* * *

Meanwhile on the other side of the hotel outside on the beach ceremony space, was Shiro was managing the placement of the seating when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Thinking it was Allura saying that she had the finalized the seating chart and was now bringing it over, he quickly pulled out his phone. However he was very taken aback by the text he received from Hunk.

**Hunk > hey i don’t know what you said to Lance but he’s changed out of his suit and now he’s dragging me out with him as he sneaks out of the wedding to go look for a bunch of items for some good luck spell crap **

“Oh my god,” Shiro said feeling his heart rate increase from stress.

He looked around the ceremony space and could only see the hotel workers setting up the seating arrangement and not the one person he could trust to do the one thing he knew needed to be done now. Shiro knew that if Lance was having a mental breakdown, then Keith must be climbing the walls. The only person he knew who could handle him was Pidge, and she was nowhere to be found.

Frantically he texted her asking her to meet him in the cocktails room by the bar. He left the beach ceremony space hoping that the manager would make sure everything went smoothly outside and Ihe headed inside towards the bar. Vaguely smiling and waving at the different family and friends of the grooms as he made a beeline for the bar.

“I have a proposition for you,” Shiro said to the bartender as he reached for his wallet and he leaned on the bar.

“Oh um, that’s very flattering sir but—”

“Not that kind of proposition,” Shiro cut him off, shaking his head at the young flustered bartender.

“Oh, of course,” the bartender said nodding and looking slightly embarrassed.

“If you want to make an easy…” he counted out several bills from his wallet, “two hundred bucks today, you will make sure that I never have an empty drink in my hand. For the whole night starting now.”

“Sir it’s 11am—”

“ _Starting now_ ,” Shiro said again with emphasis. He held the wad of bills in front of the guy waving them slightly to entice him. “What do you say...” he glanced down at the name tag on his uniform, “Brian.”

“Of course sir,” Brian said taking the bills and stuffing them in his back pocket. “What would you like?”

“A whiskey sour,” Shiro said sitting down at the bar.

“Wow drinking already? I hope this has nothing to do with what you texted me about,” Pidge said taking a seat next to Shiro at the bar.

“Hey Pidge,” Shiro glancing at her from the corner of his eye. However once he saw what she was wearing he did a double take. “Pidge you look so beautiful,” he said taking her in.

She shrugged nonchalantly but smirked a bit at the compliment. She wore sleek black tux with a crisp white shirt underneath. Her hair was combed and parted to the side, the longer strands tucked behind her ears and pinned with a small wrench clip. Underneath her chin was a bowtie spilt down the middle in navy and crimson. Shiro actually felt himself get emotional over how well his small friend cleaned up.

“Oh shut up,” she said pretending to sweep back her nonexistent long hair over her shoulder. “I know I'm gorgeous. So what did you need me for?”

“So— thank you Brian— Lance is having a mental break down,” Shiro said taking the cocktail from the bartender and taking a long drink.

“What else is new?” Pidge chuckled.

“No no no he's….he's seriously lost it,” Shiro sighed swirling the ice in his glass. “He's snuck out of the hotel and taken Hunk with him.”

“Oh shit,” Pidge said. “So what do you need me for?”

“Well,” he took another drink, “my thinking is, if Lance is losing his shit, then Keith is most definitely losing his shit.”

“True, true. That's probably true,” Pidge agreed. “So I'm gonna be Keith's babysitter?”

“Can you please?” Shiro asked looking at her pleadingly.

“You're his best man though,” Pidge frowned, “wouldn't he listen to you better?”

“Do you want to do all the rest of the wedding preparations?” Shiro questioned raising his eyebrow.

“So watching Keith, what does that entail?” Pidge said quickly.

“Yeah that's what I thought,” Shiro smirked. “Ok,” turned in his seat to face her more directly, “there's three things you have to promise. One, don't let him out of your sight. Two, Keith and sugary drinks don't mix well. And three, for the love of god, don't mention Nyma.”

“Why no sugary drinks?” Pidge asked confused.

“He tends to not make any sense, and swear a lot,” Shiro said.

“Ok so, watch him, no sugar, no girls. I got this,” Pidge nodded getting up from her seat at the bar. “Don't get too drunk.”

“I won't,” Shiro said knocking back the rest of drink. “Thank you Brian,” as the bartender handed him another.

“Right,” Pidge said sarcastically. “Ok well I'm off to go see what sort of disaster Keith is right now. I'll let you know if things get too crazy.”

“Please do,” Shiro said sipping his drink.

Stepping away from the bar, Pidge walked through the labyrinth of small cocktail tables that were in the process of being set and decorated towards the exit. Once in the hallway, she walked over to the bank of elevators and waited for one to arrive, thinking about what exactly she was going to find when she saw Keith. If Shiro thought he would need babysitting, then Keith must be in really bad shape after all. Pidge wasn’t feeling too optimistic about it at all.

By the time she reached Keith’s floor and walked over to the door to his room, she was regretting accepting to help Shiro. Keith was notoriously hot headed and irrational at times. And if there were ever a time for someone to be hot headed and irrational, it was their wedding day. Carefully she knocked on the door, telling Keith that Shiro sent her.

“Come in, it’s open,” Keith said muffled through the door.

She turned the handle, holding her breath and expecting the worst and was pleasantly surprised when she was greeted by a calm and composed looking Keith who sat on his bed looking on his phone. A bit shocked and a lot relieved, she exhaled as she walked further into the room, closing the door behind her and walking over to him.

“You seem fine,” Pidge said skeptically crossing the room to sit next to him on the bed.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” Keith said with a shrug.

“I don’t know, Shiro sent me up here to babysit you,” Pidge said seeing if that might provoke Keith into telling the truth. “He thinks you’re gonna go off the deep end.”

“Um, no. I’m not,” Keith laughed looking back down at his phone.

“Cool,” Pidge nodded, feeling slightly uncomfortable knowing now that there was no actual crisis that needed her help. “So…” she leaned over trying to get a glimpse of his phone screen, “whatcha doing?”

“I’m getting an uber,” Keith said tapping on his phone.

“Uh,  for why?” Pidge asked feeling like she had spoken too soon about the crisis.

“I’m going back to the apartment, I can’t go through with this wedding,” Keith said nonchalantly. Pidge realized she had definitely spoken way too soon about the crisis.

Feeling overwhelmed and partially like the fate of this wedding rested in her hands, she did the only thing she thought to do; she texted Hunk.

**< Keith is leaving the wedding???? what do i do???? **

Hiding her phone from Keith, she watched as he packed up the small travel bag he brought with him, putting all of his belongings inside and zipping it closed with ease and not a tremor of nervousness— as if he wasn’t currently bailing on his wedding to his boyfriend of 6 years. Taking to heart what Shiro told her about not letting him out of her sight, she kept one eye on him as she read Hunk’s response.

**Hunk > WTF LANCE LEFT TOO **

**Hunk > he said he had errands to run for the wedding, what'd Keith say???**

“Hey Keith,” Pidge said, wondering that herself. “Where exactly are we going?”

“We?” Keith repeated looking up from packing his bag.

“Yeah obviously wherever you go I'm coming with you,” Pidge said. “I'm not allowed to let you out of my sight.”

“Ah right,” Keith said going back to packing. “Whatever, you can come with me then.”

“Wasn't really up to you anyway,” Pidge smirked. “So…” she watched him zip up his bag, “you're not even gonna tell your fiancé that you're leaving him at the altar?” He turned to her, giving her an unamused scowl. “What? You are.”

“I'm not… leaving him at the altar...I'm….” Keith trailed off looking for what to say.

“You're…? Just leaving him at the altar,” Pidge completed.

“....if that's what you want to call it,” Keith said dismissively.

“What else do I call it? ”Pidge said annoyed. “You are the runaway bride.”

“I'm not the bride,” Keith said rolling his eyes.

“Ok fine but you are leaving Lance here to deal with all this on his own,” Pidge pointed out. Keith had the decency to look properly upset. “And you're not even going to tell him?”

“What would I even say!?” Keith said throwing his arms in the air. “ _Oh sorry I know we've been planning this wedding for weeks now but I'm completely petrified and I can't marry you, see you at the apartment!?_ ”

“....ok maybe not like that but yeah,” Pidge nodded.

“I can't…. I can't tell him that,” Keith said covering his mouth in horror.

“What about a note?” Pidge offered calmly. “Maybe just write out how you feel and why you're leaving. Leave him a note. Just...just so he has something.”

“A note?” Keith said softly. “Ok yeah...I–I can leave him a note.”

“Ok good,” Pidge said getting up and going over to the desk in the room. “Let's sit down and write him a note telling him why you're leaving.”

“Alright,” Keith nodded walking over to her. “I can do that.” He sat down heavily in the chair, taking the desk pen in his hand and moving the complimentary hotel paper in front of him.  

“Ok good, you write that note buddy. I'll be right over here,” she said walking backwards to the bed and sitting, feeling her phone vibrate with another text in her pocket.

**Hunk > is Keith ok? DON'T TELL HIM LANCE LEFT**

Swallowing, Pidge looked up Keith who was focused on writing across the room. Feeling a bit of panic swirling in her gut, she slowly typed out her response trying to be as non alarming as possible.

**< Keith is having a bit of a panic attack. Some cold feet. Nothing to worry about. Totally minor stuff **

She looked down at the text after she pressed send feeling a bit guilty for not telling Hunk how serious Keith's totally minor stuff was. Against her better judgement, she texted out a second text.

**< um, it's nothing to worry about really, but Keith is just writing a note for Lance as to why he can't get married today and he's gonna bail after he's done. But I'm sure it'll take him forever to write it and he'll come to his senses in no time. **

“Ok, I'm done,” Keith said folding over the paper and standing up from the desk.

“That–that was very fast,” Pidge stuttered surprised, almost dropping her phone. Keith only shrugged. “Ok–ok, yeah sure. Let's just um….” she looked around the room. “Let's put it here on the bed.”

Keith took the folded note, wrote _To Lance_ on it, and placed it on the bed where it would visible to anyone walking in. He turned back around to Pidge and with a resigned sigh, grabbed his small travel bag and headed for the door. Confused to how Keith was able to word his thoughts so quickly, Pidge was half frozen as she followed him out of the room.

“The car should be here any minute,” Keith said going for the stairs instead of the elevator.

“Right,” Pidge said quickening her pace to keep up with him. “Definitely don't want to keep them waiting.”

Keith said nothing as they went down the stairs and landed on the ground floor. Almost immediately as they opened the doors they were struck by the sounds and sights of wedding preparations. Curious to see his reaction, Pidge glance up at Keith out the corner of her eye. His face was tight and forcefully expressionless, as if he didn't want to have a reaction to the view of his wedding being prepared as he fled it.

“My uber is here,” Keith said thickly, ducking his head and walking through the bustling hotel. Pidge raced to keep up with him, trying to follow Shiro's rule about not letting him out of her sight.

They managed to slip out of the hotel undisturbed and unseen and slid into the waiting car for them outside. Keith quickly told the driver the address of his and Lance’s apartment but Pidge stuck out her arm and stopped him.

“No, wait. Let's not go there,” Pidge said quickly.

“Pidge,” Keith sighed heavily. “Look I understand that you think I'm making a mistake but I really  
just want to go home—”

“No you can—you can go home,” she said thinking on the spot. “But not right now. First we have to go...bowling.”

“...bowling,” Keith repeated.

“Bowling?” their uber driver asked.

“Yeah, bowling,” Pidge said with more confidence. “We're going bowling. I mean,” she chuckled trying to sound less like she was making this up as she went, “when was the last time you went bowling?”

“Pidge I'm not really dressed for—”

“Look if you want to run away that's fine and I can't stop you but at least let me pick where I'm taking you to,” Pidge reasoned. Keith gave her a squinted dubious look before eventually caving.

“Ok fine,” Keith said with a shrug. “It's not like I have anything better to do.”

“Right?” Pidge laughed humorlessly, turning slightly away from him as she pulled out her phone. On her lock screen she saw 3 new texts from Hunk.

**Hunk > HE’S DOING WHAT NOW!?????**

**Hunk > What do I do? Do I tell Lance?? How am I supposed to tell Lance? I can't tell him it'll crush him. Oh god. **

**Hunk > PLEAAASE  F IX THIS**

Taking a deep breath, Pidge typed out a response to Hunk hoping to sound convincing.

**< ok so Keith wrote a note for Lance explaining why he's bailing from the wedding and he's left but DON'T WORRY I got this under control he will be at that wedding if it kills me. **

* * *

When Hunk received the text response from Pidge, he was both dreading and anticipating the answer. He was currently sitting in the passenger seat of Lance’s crappy Honda Accord, wishing he had convinced Lance that he’d be able to find find everything he wanted in the hotel. Eyeing Lance to make sure he wasn’t looking, he opened Pidge’s text and had a mini heart attack.  

“Aahgh,” Hunk gulped reading the text.

“You alright there buddy?” Lance laughed, glancing at him. “You just made the same sound Keith’s cat did when she died.”

“Yeah I’m to–totally fine,” Hunk stumbled, locking his phone before Lance could see the screen. “Everything's a–ok…”

“Ok weirdo,” Lance smirked looking back at the road. Hunk could feel himself slump in his seat feeling the stress of the entire situation settle into the crevices in his neck muscles.

“So… where are we going?” Hunk asked trying not to glance at the clock on the dashboard telling him that they only had 4 hours and 56 minutes to indulge Lance’s adventurous whims.

“Well the first thing on the list is something old, so we’re on our way to get something old,” Lance said making a turn.

“Like what? Like an old t-shirt or something?” Hunk said confused.

“Well I do have to be able to wear all of the objects but no, not an old t-shirt,” Lance chuckled. “No, no I’m thinking something _old._ Like really fucking old.”

“Oh now please don’t tell me…” Hunk trailed off desperately.

“Yup,” Lance grinned.

“No please, not the thrift store,” Hunk begged, tossing his head back.

“Thrift store! Thrift store! Thrift store!” Lance chanted as he pulled into the shared parking lot for the small strip mall where the thrift store was.

“Lance I hate that thrift store, last time I was there an old lady tried to fight me for a pair of purple clogs,” Hunk huffed. “I wasn’t even buying them! She was just trying to fight me!”

“That’s what makes this store so great,” Lance said as he parked. He turned off the car and yanked the keys out of the ignition. “Come on, let’s go get me something I’m gonna get married in.”

“This is a bad idea,” Hunk frowned stepping out the car. “You know, once I was here and there was a dog giving birth in the middle of the store.”

“How is that a con? That’s a pro!” Lance said incredulously as they walked towards the entrance of the thrift store.

“They weren’t puppies! It was something unnatural and radioactive!” Hunk said horrified.

“Still sounds like a pro,” Lance shrugged, opening the front door.

Deciding not to argue, Hunk just sighed and followed his friend into the store. The high jingle of the bell on the door alerted the one sleepy employe behind the counter of their entrance into the store. She was a teenager who, by the look of myriad of piercings in her face and the amount of metal studs on her clothes, she could go no where near the electronic section without setting off the metal detector on the shelf. She barely glance up at them over her phone as Lance made a beeline for the clothing section.

“Ok I need something that I can wear that is old but isn’t completely ridiculous,” Lance said pushing around the hangers of clothes on the rack.

“Like “ _leaving your wedding only a few hours before you’re getting married”_ type of ridiculous?” Hunk asked sarcastically.

“Hilarious,” Lance rolled his eyes, continuing to go through the racks of clothes. “This isn’t ridiculous, this is insurance.” Hunk frowned at him even further, very much not amused. “This though, this is ridiculous,” Lance laughed holding up a pair of pink and orange paisley flare corduroy pants.  

“Those are awful,” Hunk grimaced looking at the fashion disaster in a men’s size 30-32.

“What if I—”

“You’re not getting married in these,” Hunk said flatly before Lance could even finish his sentence.

“You’re right,” Lance nodded with an embarrassed chuckle. “My suit is Dolce & Gabbana, I can’t wear this.” His laugh trailed off as he continued looking at the pants. “I’m still buying them though.”  
“Of course you are,” Hunk sighed, resigned that he was going to spend the entire excursion with a tension headache. “Can you please find whatever you’re gonna buy and buy it so we can go?”

“Alright, damn. You don’t gotta be so pushy, what’s the rush?” Lance said throwing the hideous pants over his shoulder as he went back to looking through the clothes.

“You’re joking right?” Hunk said flatly.

“Yes Hunk. That was a joke,” Lance smirked. “What about this?” he asked holding a t-shirt that said “Meow–rry Me” on the front with one cat proposing to the other.

“Ok ignoring the fact that this clearly isn’t an old shirt, Are you really… really gonna wear this? On your wedding?” Hunk asked skeptically.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Lance sighed putting it back. “I should have worn it when I proposed. Damn. Oh well, I have to wait to wear it until I proposed for my second marriage.”

“Very funny,” Hunk said not amused at all. He looked over the racks of clothes at the rest of the store. “Hey how about instead of a horrible old shirt, you wear a piece of jewelry?” he suggested gesturing over to the glass case of accessories.

“Oh yeah, good idea Hunk,” Lance smiled patting his friend on the arm.

“I tend to have those,” Hunk smiled half smugly, following Lance over to the accessory section. “See anything you like?”  

“Hmmm,” Lance hummed as he looked down through the glass at the jewelry inside the display case. “I like that bracelet.”  

“Please tell me you’re not pointing to the bracelet that says “ _Pimpin’_ ” in gold,” Hunk said exasperatedly.

“No…” Lance said, moving over to the other side of the display case.

“What about that ring?” Hunk pointed to the thin silver ring that had a line of hearts etched into the band.

“Nah it’s not...enough,” Lance said, his eyes scanning the display.

“Ok, what about that brooch,” Hunk said motioning to a golden cat paw print brooch with small blue jewels as the little toe pads.

“Eh, closer but…” Lance looked over the case with a concentrated frown on his face. “Oh wait, that. I want that.” He tapped his finger on the glass right above a pair of daisy earrings. They looked to be made from folded metal and hand painted white and yellow. The paint had chipped slightly on the petals but they still looked beautiful and delicate.

“They’re beautiful Lance, but you don’t have your ears pierced,” Hunk said. Lance grinned at him. “Oh my god.”

“I need something new,” Lance said by way of reasoning.

“If I argue against it will you even listen to me?” Hunk said with little hope.

“Nope,” Lance smiled.

“Fine,” Hunk sighed. “Just pay so we can go.”

“Ok ok damn,” Lance said walking over to the lackadaisical employee.

Exhaling heavily, Hunk leaned back against the display case. Even though now they had one of the four things down, the looming 3 other things didn’t let Hunk relax even a little bit. As Lance paid for his earrings Hunk rubbed his forehead and pulled out his phone to see he had another text from Pidge.

**Pidge > took Keith bowling. Don’t tell Lance he left. I didn’t tell Keith that Lance left. **

With a swirling dread in the pit of his stomach, Hunk looked up and saw out the thrift store front windows out towards the rest of the strip mall. Directly across the parking lot, as it’s own stand alone building that used the same shared parking lot, was the bowling alley. Unable to process this turn of events Hunk felt like his brain short circuited.

“Ready to go?” Lance said walking towards the front door.

“Ye–yeah,” Hunk gulped, taking stiff steps over to him.

They walked outside, the door closing with a jingle behind them. Hunk swallowed thickly, hoping and praying that for whatever reason Lance doesn't suggest going into the bowling alley.

“Hey look that's the bowling alley Keith and I went to for our first date!” Lance pointed out excitedly. Hunk felt his heart drop into his stomach. “I'm gonna text him a picture of it,” he said fishing his phone out of his back pocket.

“NO!” Hunk shouted, startling Lance and making him drop his purchases. “I mean….no, don't because…” he racked his brain trying to come up with a reason. “Because...if you text him a picture of it then he'll know that you've left the hotel.”

“Oh,” Lance said defeatedly. “You're right.” Hunk surprised himself by coming up with such a plausible and reasonable excuse so quickly.

“Yeah,” Hunk said a little shocked that Lance didn't argue. “I am right.”

“Ok then, I won't text him,” Lance sighed somewhat sadly, stuffing his phone back into his jeans pocket and reaching for his car keys instead.

“Good,” Hunk said in relief as Lance unlocked the car and slid inside. He go into the car, eyeing Lance’s face. He looked marginally disappointed and mildly upset. “What's wrong?”

“Oh no–nothing, it's nothing,” Lance said too quickly.

“Lance…” Hunk said letting him know he wasn't fooling anyone.

“Well it's just that,” he sighed heavily, dropping his hands into his lap and playing with the small C3PO key chain on his keys. “I just miss him you know?” Lance looked up at Hunk with a sheepish smile that had a bit of sadness pulling that the corners.

“I know, Lance,” Hunk comforted softly, placing his hand on Lance’ shoulder.

“And I know it's probably dumb and I'm being super clingy and emotional,” Lance continued, tilting his head back against the seat. “But even if we're apart for a day I miss him so much and I always want to be with him even if we're just not even doing anything important I just like when he's there next to me. He just makes me feel happy and safe and I love him so much.”

“Lance…” Hunk trailed off feeling emotional.

“I know, whatever, I'm being dumb and sappy,” Lance said waving his hand dismissively. “It's just that...usually when we're apart we text each other all the time but…”

“But what?” Hunk asked.

“He hasn't texted me,” Lance frowned looking down at his phone. “Not once. And I know it's probably because he's busy getting ready or doing something for the wedding,” Hunk audibly gulped though it went unnoticed by Lance, “but it would be nice to hear from him. Just once. Just to know he's thinking of me.”

“You should text him,” Hunk said with conviction. “You should text him all of that. Tell him that you miss him, that you love him. Tell him how you can't wait to see him and that you can't wait to marry him— hell, tell him that you can't wait to fuck him tonight. But for god sakes, just text him.”

“Um ok,” Lance chuckled sticking the car key in the ignition and pulling back out his phone. “I'll text him.”

“Good,” Hunk said seriously.

“I'm texting him,” Lance said with a smirk.

“Good,” Hunk repeated.

“You're so weird,” Lance chuckled shaking his head, glancing at Hunk. “And….sent.”

“Good,” Hunk nodded.

* * *

Across the parking lot, inside the surprisingly busy bowling alley, Keith and Pidge leaned against the counter as they waited for their shoes. They both looked justifiably out of place in their tuxedos especially in the midst of a screaming children at birthday parties, teenagers on dates and even a gaggle of elderly people having either a tournament or just competitively throwing out their hips.

Pidge eyed Keith as he leaned back with his elbows on the counter surveying the room with a blank look on his face. But as she watched him, she saw him react to the vibration in his pocket. He leaned up on one elbow and stuck his hand into his pocket and pulled out his phone. She watched as his usual concentrated frown defrosted into a soft loving smile as he read whatever text he was sent.

“What?” Pidge said watching Keith smile down at his phone.

“No–nothing,” Keith brushed off, shoving his phone back into his pocket. “Just you know….Lance.”

“What'd he say?” Pidge asked.

“Um…” Keith looked apprehensive, “here look.” He took out his phone, unlocked it and held it up for her to see the text.

**Lance > hey babe ;) Hunk is sitting here listening to me talk about how much I love you so he told me to just text you instead. **

**Lance > so yeah I love you and I already miss you and have I mentioned how much I hate this whole “can't see each other before the wedding” tradition? Because I hate that I can't kiss you right now :p **

Pidge looked up from the phone to see Keith rereading the texts with a soft smile on his face. She couldn't help but smile as she could see the love in his eyes.

“Are you gonna text him back?” Pidge asked genuinely curious.

“Uh no,” Keith said locking phone and stuffing it back into his pocket.

“What?” Pidge said incredulously. “Why not? He loves you, he probably wants to hear from you.”

“I wouldn't… I wouldn't even know what to say,” Keith shrugged reaching for the bowling shoes that the employee placed on the counter.

“You wouldn't—you wouldn't know what to say!?” Pidge repeated grabbing her shoes off the counter and following Keith who walked away. “He's your fiancé! You've been together 6 years! How could you not know what to say to him!?”

“Yeah, and I left,” Keith said resigned, sitting down on a bench to switch his dress shoes for bowling shoes. “I'm sure it's inappropriate and not to mention totally fucked up to text your fiancé—well ex fiancé— that you love them _after_ you've already left.”

“But why'd you leave?” Pidge asked quietly as she switched her shoes. “He clearly loves you and you obviously love him. Why bail on that?”

“Because I just can't marry him,” Keith said focusing on tying his shoes.

“I don't understand,” Pidge said, forcibly tying her own shoes.

“You don't have to understand,” Keith said flatly, grabbing both his and Pidge’s dress shoes and putting them in a locker.

With a sigh, Pidge rested her head in her hands, feeling more frustrated than before. She had no idea how she was going to convince Keith to go back now that it was obvious that even a love confession text from Lance couldn't do it. Hopeless, annoyed, and mildly hungry, Pidge followed Keith over to their bowling lane, wishing their was some way to change his mind. As Keith punched in their names into the scoreboard, she distantly thought that Hunk got the more rational groom and wondered if he was faring any better with Lance’s breakdown.

* * *

Several miles down the road however, Hunk was not feeling like he'd gotten the better end of the bargain. Trying to rack his brain on how he was going to explain to Shiro why Lance suddenly had his ears pierced, he thought it better not to mention anything until after it all happened. And that's why he sat leaning back in the passenger seat, trying to rub his headache away.

“Why do you look like someone peed in your cereal?” Lance asked glancing at him as he drove.

“How would you even know what that expression looks like?” Hunk grimaced.

“Actually, funny story about that. Once in college, Keith—”

“Please for the love of god don't finish that story,” Hunk said cutting him off before he could describe anything traumatic.

“Alright, but it's your loss. That story had got a surprise twist ending,” Lance said enticingly.

“Pass. Hard pass,” Hunk said frowning at him. “Just focus on the road.” He looked around but wasn't sure where they we're headed. “Where exactly are we going?”

“Ad. Inc.” Lance said as if Hunk was supposed to know what that meant.

“And Ad. Inc. is…?”

“A tattoo parlor,” Lance said nonchalantly making Hunk choke on air. “Well and piercing place, which I guess is what I'm kinda more concerned about right now.”

“We're going to a tattoo and piercing shop?” Hunk asked.

“Well yeah, where'd you think I was gonna get my ears pierced?” Lance laughed.

“I don't know!? Claire's!?” Hunk said throwing his hands in the air.

“Yeah no,” Lance said coming to a stop at a stop sign. “Besides, I know one of the piercers there.”

“You do?” Hunk said trying to rack his brain over who Lance would know and trust enough to stick a needle through his body, that wasn't already invited to the wedding. “Who?”

“Rolo,” Lance said as if that name held no significance other than a piercer he happened to know.

“Rolo,” Hunk repeated incredulously. “As in _Rolo_ Rolo, like Nyma and Rolo, that Rolo?”

“The very same,” Lance nodded driving forward.

“Do you think that this is a good idea?” Hunk said, very much no believing it was a good idea.

“Yeah, besides he owes me one,” Lance said pulling up to the street where Ad. Inc. was.

“Owes you one!?” Hunk repeated flabbergasted as Lance parked. “That's not exactly how I would put it.”

“Eh, tomato–tomahto,” Lance waving his hand dismissively as he pulled the keys out of the ignition. “Come on, let's go get my ears pierced.” He opened the door and stepped out of the car, making a beeline for the storefront.

“I'm pretty sure that going to see the guy who stole your girlfriend on your wedding day is like a thousand years of bad luck or something,” Hunk said clamoring out of the car and following behind Lance.

“Nah, besides that's ancient history,” Lance shrugged pulling the door open.

“Oh yeah it's ancient history when it suits you but it's also not ancient enough for him not to owe you one, sure. Makes sense,” Hunk vented annoyedly walking in behind Lance.

“Hello? Rolo?” Lance called out as he walked over to the front desk.

“Hello welc— oh shit man Lance, how are you?” Rolo said coming out from behind the small wall partition between the front and the work area. Hunk took in the tall, heavily tattooed and pierced man with an intricately designed metal prosthetic leg walk through the shop over to Lance and engulf him in a hug that was eagerly returned.

“I'm good,” Lance grinned moving back from the hug. “I'm actually, um, kinda getting married today.” He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and bit his smile.

“No shit? For real?” Rolo said genuinely surprised. Lance nodded with a shrug. “Well fuck man, congratulations.” He pulled Lance in for another hug, this one tighter with more emotion.

“Thanks,” Lance smiled. “I'm actually really excited, and I want everything to go perfectly. That's actually kind of why I'm here.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, I want you to pierce my ears,” Lance said fishing out the small baggy with the something old earrings from his pocket. “Think of it as your wedding gift to me.”

“Oh dude of course,” Rolo agreed. “Anything for you.”

“Thanks man,” Lance smiled, handing Rolo the bag of earrings.

“Cool, yeah follow me,” Rolo said motioning to them to follow him behind the wall partition and into the work area and taking the small Aggie from Lance's hand. “Here make yourselves comfortable, I'm gonna go sterilize these and I'll be right back.”

Hunk watched Rolo walk all the way to the back of the shop and through a door that read _employees only_ in red cursive painted on the door. Once Rolo was out of earshot, Hunk turned to Lance, who was sitting on the piercing chair with his legs crossed looking nervously excited.

“Are you still sure about this?” Hunk asked concerned, sitting down on the seat next to him. “I mean, we can just go get you some new cologne and stick the earrings in your cuffs like cuff links.”

“No way, I wanna do this,” Lance said. “Besides, Rolo owes me one.”

“You keep saying that but I don't think you really understand what's going on here,” Hunk said with a note of frantic impatience in his voice.

“It's fine,” Lance waved off dismissively.

“Ok how is getting your ears pierced by the guy you punched in the face— who then proceeded to steal your girlfriend as retribution— how is any of that fine!?” Hunk asked trying to keep his voice low.

“Because now he owes me,” Lance whispered as Rolo walked back in, his time hold a small tin with the sterilized earrings.

“Ok, let's get ready to pierce your ears,” Rolo said pulling up a stool in front of Lance and dragging over the small portable table tray.

Hunk looked between them feeling a mix of emotions and the distant feeling of needing to throw up. Quietly he excused him and walked out of the shop and back outside where he could call Shiro and not be heard. He pulled out his phone from his pocket, hit Shiro's contact and hoped for the best.

“Hey Hunk, please tell things are ok and you're not calling about some horrible new turn of events,” Shiro said with a note of desperation in his voice.

“Um no, not– not exactly,” Hunk squirmed. “Uh its just um…. well, currently, Lance is kinda… getting his ears pierced.”

“... ok well that could have been— thank you Brian— a thousand times worse,” Shiro said. Hunk could hear the clinking of ice in his glass as he took a drink of the beverage he was just handed. “Keith apparently has run off.”

“Yeah I know, Pidge told me,” Hunk sighed. “Am I… am I even doing anything good here by not telling Lance? Maybe if I told him, he could talk some sense into Keith or at least get the goodbye they deserve. Maybe I'll just—”

“No, no no no no no no no no,” Shiro interrupted. “Don't. Say. Anything. Lance is in the middle of his own thing, we don't need him knowing that Keith has cold feet. We don't want a repeat of the mini golf incident.”

“Ok ok you're right,” Hunk agreed getting a chill from the memory of the disaster that was the mini golf incident. “We don't want a new version of that.”

“Exactly,” Shiro said. “Now go in there and make sure Lance does whatever he needs to do and then bring him back.”

“Right, of course,” Hunk nodded into the phone. “Only,” he looked down at his watch and felt his blood pressure raise with the stress, “4 hours and 18 minutes left to go.”

“You can do it,” Shiro said confidently before hanging up.

“But do I want to, that’s the real question,” Hunk said to himself, sticking his phone back into his pocket.

“Hey was that Keith!?” Lance asked excitedly as he walked out through the front door.

“No, it was Shiro— wow your ears actually don’t look inherently horrible,” Hunk said examining Lance’s newly pierced ears with the something old daisy earrings delicately placed on his ear lobes.

“That’s what every bride wants to hear,” Lance said feigning being emotionally overwhelmed.

“Are you done now? Or does Rolo want a shot at Keith too?” Hunk said side eyeing Rolo through the glass.

“Nah, Keith’s all mine,” Lance grinned.

“I know bro,” Hunk said gently, patting Lance on the shoulder. “I know.”

“So who was that?” Lance asked gesturing to Hunk’s pocket where his phone was.

“Oh it was Shiro,” Hunk said. “Just making sure you haven't left too.” Immediately Hunk regretted opening his mouth, and speaking, and just regretting all communication in general.

“Too?” Lance said confused. “Who else left?”

“Left? What? Who–who said left?” Hunk stammered, looking around and gesticulating wildly. Lance just looked at him expectantly. “Oh me? I said it. Right um…. your Tío Carlos. He left already. I didn't want to tell you because….because I didn't want to um, upset you.”

“Oh…” Lance said blinking blankly at him. Hunk held his breath hoping that his save was good enough. “Oh I thought it was something serious. I'm surprised he lasted this long. He left my cousin Tata’s wedding in less than an hour. And that's his goddaughter.”

“Right,” Hunk laughed nervously following Lance as they walked back to his car. “So yeah. That's it.” He paused for a moment and thought about Lance’s immediate reaction. “Hey um, Lance?”

“Yeah?” Lance asked looking up and over from the other side of the car as he unlocked the doors.

“Why'd you think I was talking to Keith on the phone?” Hunk asked.

“Oh um…” he looked away, as if he had been hoping to avoid being asked that question. “I don't know. I know sometimes he goes to you for advice and you talk to him and you can mellow him out in a way I...in a way I can't.”

“Why would you think he'd need mellowing?” Hunk asked delicately leaning his forearms on the top of the car.

“I don't…. well…” Lance trailed off squirming in place slightly. “Maybe?” He admitted softly. “He… he hasn't texted me back.” His face dropped and for the first time that day he looked properly, and thoroughly upset.

“He's probably just…” Hunk couldn't come up with a lie fast enough. He felt his heart break just looking at the look of doubt and worry on his best friends face. “He…Keith just… I'm sure he…” no matter how he tried he couldn't think of a single word of comfort.

“Do you think he's mad at me?” Lance asked uncharacteristically unsure. “Or–or maybe I did something? Maybe I should have texted him earlier? Or maybe—”

“Call him,” Hunk said. The seriousness in his voice even surprised himself. Even Lance looked at him shocked.

“Like—”

“I don't care if it violates your whatever rules about the communication before the wedding— just call him,” Hunk said sounding and feeling more serious. “You clearly need to hear his voice and he probably needs to hear yours. So just… call him.”

* * *

Back in the bowling alley, Pidge was crushing Keith in their second round of bowling. Keith was currently sitting in the orange and green seats, slumped with his arms crossed in front of him. Their tux jackets had been discarded halfway through the first round and now they were both down to just their pants and shirts with their waistcoats and bow ties undone and dropped over their jackets.

“Stop pouting you big baby,” Pidge grinned walking back to the seats after yet another strike. “That's what? Another perfect game?”

“We're using the bumpers, Pidge,” Keith said flatly watching her take a long sip from her obnoxiously pin shaped cup of root beer.

“Exactly, so why don't you have a perfect score?” Pidge laughed. “What your excuse? Wedding jitters?”

“Fuck off,” Keith said with much less bite than he probably meant to.

“Maybe you should—” Pidge began, but she was cut off by the sound of Keith's phone vibrating on the chair between them.

They both looked down and stared at the contact screen on the phone. Lance in a C3PO costume with golden makeup just beginning to melt from being on all night grinned up at them as the phone vibrated with an incoming call. They both seemed to stare at it in silence, unsure what to do. After a few seconds, it stopped and they both let out a shaky breath.

“You're not gonna answer that?” Pidge asked.

“I didn't text him back I'm definitely not gonna pick up his call,” Keith said turning the phone over on the chair.

“Why not? He clearly wants to talk to you,” Pidge said getting annoyed.

“What would I even say? I can't— there's nothing I can say to make up for— I just can't you know?” Keith said tripping over his own words.

“Keith,” Pidge began seriously. “There's a lot you've done today that I'm really not ok with. But if you don't get on that phone and talk to Lance and at least give him the explanation he deserves I'm going to shove a bowling pin so far up your ass the tip is gonna come out your mouth.”

“Ok,” Keith gave in. “Ok damn, I'll call him. Jesus Christ, I'll call him.”

Grabbing the phone he walked towards the family bathroom and locked the door behind him. Taking a few deep breaths, he sat down on the small chair in the corner and stared at his phone for a solid minute before unlocking it. Quickly, and without thinking about it, he pressed Lance’s contact and brought the phone up to his ear.

The seconds it took for it to ring felt like an eternity. But as soon as the ringing ended and he heard Lance’s soft hello on the other end, everything inside him unwound and melted.

“Hey baby,” Keith said softly relishing the sound of Lance’s voice.

“Hey babe, I miss you,” Lance said gently. Keith felt his heart warm just at the sound of his voice. “I hate this whole thing where I can't see you. Because I think I'd be a hell of a lot less nervous if you were sitting here next to me, holding my hand and stuff. Maybe we could sneak off and make out for a bit, like for an hour or so.”

“We’d definitely sneak off and make out,” Keith chuckled softly into the phone sliding down more into the seat. “Maybe steal a tray of those little finger sandwiches.”

“The bocaditos?” Lance said smiling into the phone.

“Yeah those,” Keith grinned. “We'd take a tray of that, lock ourselves in the honeymoon suite, and eat all of it.” He could hear Lance chuckle on the other end. “And then have sex in the jacuzzi tub.”

“Oh dude we're so having sex in the jacuzzi tub,” Lance said excitedly. “In fact, _as soon_ as we leave the reception tonight we're checking into the honeymoon suite, setting up the mood lights and a bubble bath, and I'm gonna make you see Jesus.”

“Lance,” Keith said shakily beginning to feel a wave a guilt hit him making him feel a tightness in his throat. “About that—”

“Hey before you say anything,” Lance said quickly. Keith could hear him shifting in place, as he readied himself to speak.

Everything inside him wanted to stop Lance from continuing and finally come clean. Tell him that he was scared and that he couldn't do this, that he felt like he was way in over his head. But he couldn't even open his mouth to say anything, and he stayed silent.

“I just… I just wanted to tell you that I'm really, really scared. And part of me… part of me thinks I can't do this,” Lance said quietly.

Keith could feel his heartbeat drumming so fast he thought it might leap out of his chest. Even after all his running away from fear of what was to come, he never thought Lance would be the one to tell him he was bailing on the wedding. Somehow, some selfish, awful part of him felt hurt that Lance wanted to leave the wedding.

“I'm so terrified of what marriage may mean, and what could change between us, or if I'm even fit to be married, or if I'm even right for you, or if this isn't some horrible mistake,” Lance continued only adding to the pain and hurt in Keith's chest. “And I keep having this horrible thought that I'm going to get to the altar and you're not gonna be there and this has been a weird elaborate prank on me.”

No longer breathing, Keith's hand trembled as he held the phone to his ear. The horrible feeling of making Lance’s fear a very real reality hit him almost instantaneously. Even if he was able to form a proper sentence, there was nothing he could possibly say.

“And I yet all this time,” Lance chuckled softly. “I realized I never once doubted you. Me? Yes, of course. Marriage in general? Sure. The possibility of our wedding being a disaster? Most definitely. But you? Never, Keith, not once. I never once thought that you'd be a mistake or wrong for me or anything like that. I'm so sure about you it almost scares me. Keith, you're the only thing that I know I'm 100% certain of.”

Keith could feel tears escaping down the side of his face. No matter how much he fought them, he just cried silently as Lance spoke.

“So I guess what I'm trying to say here is,” Lance continued. “Today, when I see you up at that altar, I might not know if I chose the right suit, or if the flowers look good, or if I shouldn’t have sat my gold digger aunt at the same table as your rich uncle, but I know I'll be damn sure that you are a decision I can be confident about. I love you. And I'll always love you, and I can't wait to see you again so I can kiss you and hold you and never let you go, not ever again. Not till death do us part.” Lance let out a soft chuckle before letting out a heavy exhale. “Just promise me that once we're married, we don't ever do this whole “not seeing each other and not talking all day” thing. It's horrible and I miss you.”

“I promise,” Keith said thickly. “And I… I miss you too Lance.”

“Ok good,” Lance smiled into the phone. “Now what was it you were going to say?”

“Oh um, what?” Keith said nervously.

“I was telling you I was gonna make you see Jesus after the reception and then you said _about that_ and then I cut you off to be sappy,” Lance recalled. “What were you gonna say?”

“Oh,” Keith swallowed. “Only that uh...we shouldn't wait until after the reception. During the cocktail hour we should sneak off for a quickie. Somewhere dark and cramped.”

“Yes! Totally yes! I completely agree,” Lance said excitedly. “Ugh, being married to you is gonna be so great. I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” Keith said smiling tenderly.

“I can't wait to see you again babe,” Lance said dreamily.

“Me–me too baby,” Keith said hesitating slightly.

“Ok I gotta go, Hunk and I gotta do something but I just...I just really needed to hear your voice,” Lance added quietly.

A lump gathered in Keith's throat. He felt exactly the same; he really had just needed to hear Lance’s voice. All the fear and nerves and the feeling that Keith couldn't go through with the wedding, they were all still there but less somehow. It all felt distant and unimportant and diminished by the need to be with Lance.

“I think,” Keith said thickly. “I think really needed to hear your voice too.” He could feel tears collect in his eyes and he tried to wipe them away, quickly before his crying traveled into the sound of his voice.

“Keith, babe, are you alright?” Lance asked concernedly. “Why are you crying?”

“It's nothing,” Keith sniffed, trying to forcefully wipe away his tears.

“Babe, talk to me,” Lance pleaded. “Talk to your future husband. Tell me what's wrong.”

“Lance are you sure about this?” Keith asked uncharacteristically nervously. “Like about all of this. Us getting married, us being together, me in general— are you sure that you're sure?”

“Keith are you worried that I don’t want to get married, or–or be with you?” Lance asked. “Because I do.”

“But maybe like—maybe I'm not the right guy— may–maybe you wake up one day, and it might not be tomorrow or the next day or a year from now or ten years from now, but what if you wake up one day and you realize that this has all been a horrible mistake that I'm...that I'm a horrible mistake,” Keith added just above a whisper.

“Babe you're—”

“You're my...my one,” Keith said unable to stop himself. “You're the one person that's perfect for me and I love you. But...but what if I'm not your one? What if your one is somewhere out there and one day you'll meet them and regret this—regret me?”

“Keith I’d—”

“I'm so terrified of losing you and I know that it’s unfair for me to push all of my fears on you but, Lance,” Keith let out a shaky breath, “I’m afraid this could be a mistake.”

“Do you…” Lance began quietly, as if the words and the thought behind hadn’t come together yet. “Do you not want to marry me?” His voice was low and thin. Keith could practically see the look of uncertainty in Lance’s eyes. “Is this just your way of telling me you want out? Are you...are you saying that you think this is a mistake? Because if you are…” there was a long pause and Keith held his breath, “if you are then you have to tell me outright that you want to call this off. You have to say it.”

Blinking back his tears, Keith sat in complete silence as he took in what Lance said. There it was, as plain as Keith could have ever dreamed for: an out. An easy, perfectly set up way out of this marriage and presumably this relationship. He’d be on his own again, something he hadn’t really been for the majority of his adult life. The possibility of independance from Lance was something Keith hadn’t given much thought to past their second date.

It had always been them together. Lance and Keith. Keith and Lance. The two of them taking on the rest of the world. They had gotten together since the beginning of their junior of college and they’d been together ever since. Through all the crappy moments like Keith getting fired or rage quitting from multiple jobs, to the several times Lance had broken his arms. From helping each other with grad school applications, to just being there at the end of a crappy day with a kiss and story of a crappier day. They’d been together through everything, and not once did Keith think that there was anyone out there for him that would fill the space in his heart quite like Lance did.

Lance was the person that made sure he woke up on time every morning, enticing him out of bed with coffee and breakfast. He was the person who never let his bad mood affect their interactions and vented to Keith without ever letting his anger spill out onto him, thanking him afterward for being there to listen. Lance never made promises he didn’t intend to keep and he always went out of his way to make Keith happy. He was the soft kiss each morning and the tight embrace each night. He was Keith’s always, both in his past and his present and, at least before, his future.

But as Keith sat there with Lance’s words running through his head, banging and crashing into all his thoughts, he realized something rather important. He had been so convinced and so worried that he was holding Lance back from possibly meeting the person who’d love him the best, when all along he should have realized that Lance believed and wanted him to be the one who loved him best. That Keith was the one he wanted to wake up in the mornings, and come home to vent to, and make happy during the day. Keith was the person Lance wanted to kiss softly each morning and hold tightly each night. He had been so wrapped up in his own thoughts about what was best for Lance, that he never bothered to think of him.

“I don’t want to…” Keith began, the words traveling faster than his thoughts.

“You—you don’t want to ma–marry…” Lance trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

“No, no,” Keith began again. “I don’t want to end this. I don’t want an out. I don’t want to call this off. I want you. For as long as you’ll have me.”

“Keith,” Lance sighed, heavy, strained breaths. “Jesus Christ babe, you almost gave me a heart attack. I thought you wanted to call off the wedding.”

“No,” Keith said more sure than he’d ever felt. “I don’t.”

“Good,” Lance said softly. “I mean, I know you’re scared that I don’t love you, or that there’s someone out there that I could love more. But Keith, babe, that’s just not even possible.”

“Sorry,” Keith laughed quietly. “I got a little insecure. I think I just really miss you.”

“I miss you too,” Lance said with a smile in his voice. “Only 4 more hours until we’re married.”

“Not soon enough,” Keith said wiping away the last of his tears. “I love you, and I’ll see you later, ok?”

“You bet,” Lance said happily. “I love you too.”

Not trusting himself to speak again, Keith hung up the phone and dropped it into his lap. Properly and for the first time, Keith let himself cry. His whole body shook with sobs, crying over everything and anything. His idiocy. Lance’s unyielding love. The fact that the bowling shoes he had been given are a half size too small and they had been slowly pinching his feet for half an hour. Just everything.

Once all his tears had dried up, and he was dry heaving into his hands, Keith got up off the chair, walked over to the sink, splashed some water on his face, and tried to pretend he hadn’t just been crying. Staring at himself in the mirror, he slapped his cheeks a bit, trying to bring color to them and away from his eyes with little success. Choosing to ignore his red rimmed eyes, he stuffed his phone into his pocket, unlocked the bathroom door, and left.

The walk back to Pidge felt longer than the one to the bathroom to call Lance. Each step felt like it added 4 more. By the time he did arrive in front of Pidge, he had lost all his shaky confidence as fell right back into anxiety.

“So I guess it was pretty bad huh?” Pidge said almost sympathetically as he eyes took in Keith’s tear stained face. “How’d he take it? Bad? Ok? Terrifyingly horrible?”

“We need to get back to the hotel,” Keith said grabbing his jacket, waistcoat and bowtie off the seat.

“Wait what,” Pidge said watching him confusedly.

“The hotel, for the wedding. We need to get back,” Keith said draping his clothes over his arm.

“Oh my god,” Pidge smiled brightly. “Yes ok—yes, let’s go back! Yes!” Keith just sighed and shook his head looking at his small excited friend jump up out of her seat and began collecting her things to leave.

* * *

At the same time back in Lance’s car, Lance sat collecting himself in the driver's seat, taking in slow calming breaths. He held his phone tightly in his hand, trying to process the conversation he just had. His thoughts were going a mile a minute when Hunk let himself into the car and sat down in the passenger seat.

“Are you alright?” Hunk asked carefully.

Lance looked up at him, not yet able to talk. He knew his face showed the evidence of him crying, and he looked upset but he had no idea how to begin to answer that.

Was he alright? He was most definitely not alright. He just spoke with his fiancé, who he loves most in the entire world, and his fiancé just admitted to him that he thinks he's not the right person for him. That this whole thing, their whole wedding, could be a mistake. And even though Keith wasn't willing to part with him, he still thought that there was someone out there better for Lance than himself. And Lance didn't feel alright with that.

“I'm…” Lance began unsure of how to continue. “Hunk, do you think that I'm not the right person for Keith?”

“What?” Hunk exclaimed, looking both confused and horrified.

“Do you think, that somewhere out there, there's someone better for him?” Lance asked feeling himself get choked up again. “That there's someone who would love him more, be better to him, someone who he could be 100% sure about?”

“Oh god what happened?” Hunk said concernedly. “Did he say that stuff to you? Did he...did he call off the wedding?”

“What did I do to make him question me?” Lance asked feeling lost. “Did I make him think that I wasn't happy? Have I done something wrong?”

“No Lance, no sometimes people just—”

“I just needed to hear his voice,” Lance said almost to himself. He stared blankly at the phone in his hand. “I just needed to hear him say he loved me, and I just needed to tell him I love him… now I'm all confused.”

“Lance it's ok, we'll get through this,” Hunk said comfortingly, placing his hand in Lance's shoulder. “You won't be alone. You're not the only person who's wedding didn't happen. Sometimes you just gotta understand that you gotta move on.”

“Yeah,” Lance sighed. “Wait,” he said finally registering what Hunk said. “What did you just say?”

“You gotta move on?” Hunk repeated.

“No before that,” Lance frowned.

“You won't be alone?” Hunk said.

“No, after that,” Lance scowled.

“Oh— you're not the only who's wedding didn't happen,” Hunk repeated. “Yeah, it's gonna suck for a while, but eventually you'll be able to move on. Being left at the altar is not going to be the ending in your love story, there'll be someone else.”

“I'm not being left at the altar,” Lance said horrified. “We're getting married. In,” he looked down at his phone, “3 hours and 57 minutes.”

“But, you just said...and Keith, he...and you were talking about…” Hunk furrowed his eyebrows and looked out the window as if there was an explanation outside. “Oh, I'm so confused.”

“Keith and I aren’t calling off the wedding,” Lance said seriously. “We just talked through a mutual moment panic but we're still getting married.”

“Good,” Hunk nodded. “No that's good. I'm glad.”

“Did you really think we'd call off the wedding?” Lance asked vulnerably.

“No,” Hunk said honestly. “I mean, you had me there for a second, but I never thought you'd actually call it off.”

“I definitely wouldn't,” Lance said with a huff. “Besides all the money that my stepdad spent on this wedding,” they both chuckled, “I fucking love him, Hunk. I don't think I couldn’t be with him.”

“I know buddy. I know,” Hunk nodded.

* * *

Back at the hotel Shiro was elbow deep in wedding details, having become the go to guy for any sort of wedding panic or problem. He was in the middle of helping reorganize the buffet layout for the cocktail hour after Keith's cousin Petra, threw a fit and claimed that as a vegan she would not be able to eat anything that was near meat, when his wife Allura came scurrying over looking like she had a wedding problem of her own.

“Darling,” Allura said in the high, lilting tone that Shiro recognized as her panic voice. “I have something I need to discuss with you.”

“Give me one second dear,” Shiro said holding up one finger. “Ok now move all of assorted meats to that side by the carving station and make sure the fruit is nowhere near the bacon,” he instructed to the caterers. “Alright, what's the something you have to discuss with me?” he asked turning to her and taking a sip from his glass.

“I was just upstairs checking on Lance and Keith,” she began and Shiro knew exactly where she was leading to. “And when I went to there rooms, neither of them were there! Lance’s wedding clothes were laid out on the bed— along with Hunk’s for some reason, and in Keith’s room his bag was gone and there was a note on the bed addressed to Lance. Shiro, I think they’ve both run.”

Realizing now that he should have told his wife about all of this hours ago, Shiro nodded curtly, lifted his glass to his lips, and drank down the rest of his drink in one go. With a heavy exhale, he turned and set the now empty glass on the small table next to him.

“Yes,” Shiro began not sure how he was going formulate the sentence. “I am...aware, that they are both out of the hotel.”

“And Hunk and Pidge?” she asked. “I’ve been looking for them and I can’t find them.”  
“That’s because—thank you Brian— that’s because they are with Lance and Keith,” Shiro explained calmly, accepting the fresh drink from Brian the bartender. “Well, Hunk is with Lance and Pidge is with Keith.”

“Wait you knew!?” Allura said shocked.

“Kind of,” Shiro said sipping his drink. She glared at him, crossing her arms across her chest. “Ok yes I knew, but Hunk and Pidge both promised me that they were going to bring them back before the wedding without anyone knowing they had left.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Allura said through gritted teeth.

“Because I didn’t want to…” he began, looking her face for clues or how to continue, “I didn’t want to… worry you. I didn’t want you to worry.”

“Don’t be so thoughtful next time,” Allura said flatly. “There are only 3 hours and change before the wedding, make sure they both coming, with time to spare for them to get ready. Again.”

“Ok,” Shiro nodded.

“Call them,” Allura said gesturing to his phone in his pocket.

“Oh, right yes,” Shiro said fumbling to get his phone out of his right pocket with his left hand. Once he had it in his hand, he looked up to see Allura staring at him confused. “Sorry, I’m...I’m kinda drunk.”

“Oh for god sakes,” Allura huffed taking his phone. Shiro just took another drink as he watched his wife press Hunk’s contact on his phone. She shook her head at Shiro as the phone rang against her ear. He just watched her as he drank from his glass, feeling too tipsy to talk.

“Hello Hunk, is Lance there with you?” Allura said directing a frown at Shiro. “Oh he is? Good. Are you guys planning on coming back to the hotel anytime soon?....oh you are?....what….what….and that's his reasoning, fantastic….well tell him that this is all things he should have done last week and not _on the day of the wedding hours before he was supposed to get married_ ….hurry back I want you see you here within the hour….good. Bye Hunk.”

“So?” Shiro prompted, gesturing with his half empty glass, almost making his drink spill on the floor.

“ _So_ Hunk and Lance are currently on their way to Lance and Keith's apartment to get something borrowed,” Allura sighed. “Now I call Pidge and have her explain why Keith has a noted to Lance that very much looks like a “goodbye, I cannot get married to you and I've left” note on his bed.”

“Of course,” Shiro nodded bring the glass over to his mouth again, sloshing the contents around and almost spilling it on himself.

“Alright but first,” she reached over and took the glass out of Shiro's hand before he could take another sip. “You're cut off.”

“Seems fair,” Shiro sighed. “As it is I am….yeah, I'm pretty wasted.”

“Unbelievable,” she said with no malice, just a resigned sigh and small smirk. “I'm calling Pidge now to make sure Keith hasn't fled too far.”

“Maybe he doesn't wanna get _pinned_ down,” Shiro grinned drunkenly. Allura stared at him blankly. “It'll make sense in a minute.”

“Hello Pidge,” Allura said completely ignoring him. “Are you with Keith?....Good, that's good….Yes, I saw the note so I was very concerned. Does he plan on returning or is this his permanent decision?...Oh? Well that’s good to hear, his change of heart couldn’t come a moment too soon… Wait, what?... You’re where?...Well, can’t you come back?... Of course you’re stranded there. Why wouldn’t you be… Oh alright, I’ll come get you. But stay put. Don’t go wandering off and getting into trouble. I will be there in 20 minutes….Yes of course, you’re welcome. Goodbye Pidge.”

“Get it now?” Shiro asked.

“PInned,” Allura repeated, handing him back his phone. “Like a bowling pin. Hilarious.”

“It’s a thinker,” Shiro said tapping his temple with his finger.

“Of course,” Allura nodded, looking at her husband with something between a smile and a grimace. “Now, I have to go pick up Pidge and Keith from the bowling alley. Please make sure that everything continues to go smoothly when I’m gone.”

“Of course dear,” Shiro nodded trying to sound sober.

“Don’t tell anyone, especially not the family that the grooms have left,” Allura instructed as she began to walk away.

“Yes darling,” Shiro nodded, swallowing a hiccup.

“Oh and please no more drinking,” Allura said pausing in place. “Eat something. You’ll want to be sober for the ceremony.”

“You got it babe,” Shiro nodded making an awkward finger guns motion at her to which she gave a small sigh to but smiled slightly anyway before walking out of the cocktail room. Once she was out of eyesight, Shiro stuck out his hand just as Brian the bartender placed a drink in it. “Thank you Brian.”

* * *

Meanwhile, Lance and Hunk had just arrived outside of Lance and Keith’s apartment building. Despite being the middle of the day on a saturday, there were very few people walking out on the street and they were able to park right in front. Hunk got out of the car, moving much more hurriedly than Lance who, despite being told by Allura that he needed to return to the hotel within the hour, was moving at a very slow and leisurely pace.

“So what are we here to get?” Hunk asked as Lance walked over to the front entrance of his building.  
“Something borrowed,” Lance said opening the door for the both of them, offering for Hunk to walk in first.

“Thanks,” Hunk said walking in. “Now how can you find something borrowed if it’s in your apartment? Wouldn’t that just be something owned?”

“Who says I’m taking something that’s mine?” Lance grinned at Hunk, as he waved to the doorman as they went towards the elevators.

“I hope that doesn’t mean stealing from a neighbor,” Hunk groaned as they stepped into the elevator.

“Keith, dumbass. I’m borrowing from Keith,” Lance said rolling without malice. He leaned to the side and pressed the 17th floor just as the elevator’s door closed.

“Oh yeah, alright yeah that makes more sense,” Hunk nodded. They stood in the elevator in silence as they ascended up towards Lance’s floor. “So what are you borrowing from him?”

“Oh my god,” Lance breathed, tossing his head back. “So many questions.”

“Well you’ve driven me around all day the least you can do is answer some questions,” Hunk frowned.

“I’m looking for something of Keith’s that he wears for good luck,” Lance said as the elevator came to a stop at their floor.

“Wow that told me a lot,” Hunk said flatly as he followed Lance out of the elevator.

They walked down the short hallway towards the door all the way at the end that had two cans dangling from the doorknob with a small decorative sign cross the front that said “Just Married” in blue and red. Lance pulled out his keys from his pocket and unlocked the door, knocking the cans so they would bang against each other softly.

“This shouldn’t take too long,” Lance said tossing his keys onto the kitchen counter as he walked in. “I know what I’m looking for.”

“Which is?” Hunk asked walking and closing the door behind him.

“You’ll see,” Lance said in a sing-song voice as he walked through the living room and into the bedroom on the other side.

Sighing, Hunk walked around the couch and sat down, listening to the sounds of Lance rustling in his bedroom looking for whatever it was he had in mind that for some reason he wouldn’t tell him. Relaxing just a bit for the first time all day, Hunk leaned back putting his hands behind his head taking in the warm brightly light living room.

Even though it looked like any normal living room in the apartment of any gay couple, he enjoyed the little touches of their personalities sprinkled about the room that made it feel like Keith and Lance’s home. Like Keith’s bass guitar hanging next to Lance’s spanish guitar on the far wall by the television. Or the shelves full of horror movies upon horror movies punctuated every so often with small figurines of horror villains. And the framed pictures of them on the wall, all in the most garish and obnoxious frames they could find. Everything made it feel like them— not just Lance and Keith,, but Lance & Keith. Them combined into some inseparable unit that was it’s own thing altogether. Something real and tangible, with a life of it’s own.

Seeing how much their lives had intertwined, Hunk couldn’t even imagine them no longer together. Had they actually called off the wedding and broken up, this thing, them as a unit, that life force that lives in their apartment and in everything they touch and do, it would be gone forever. And looking around, looking at how everything in their home wasn’t a conglomeration of Lance’s things and Keith’s things, but how everything seemed to be theirs together, he had no idea what would have happened to it.

“Ok I got it, let’s go,” Lance said coming out of the bedroom, with a small velvet bag in his hand.

“Is that what you came to get? A purse?” Hunk asked skeptically, getting up off the couch.

“No silly,” Lance shook his head. “It’s what’s inside the purse.” He looked down at the bag in his hand. “Also, it's not a purse.”

“Whatever you say,” Hunk said defensively putting his hand up. “So are we done here? You got your mystery item so we can go now?”

“Of course,” Lance nodded. “Now all I have to do is get something blue and I'm done, and I can get married in peace.”

“Are you joking?” Hunk asked following him over to the door. “You're bowtie is blue. One of your freaking wedding colors is blue. You've had that item the whole time.”

“Oh,” Lance said freezing in place and staring blankly at Hunk. He just stood in front of him for a long moment, silent with no expression on his face.

“You did know that you already like, ¾ things for your little rhyme,” Hunk said skeptical of Lance. “You didn't need to go on this ulcer inducing stresstravaganza.”

“I...I already had them,” Lance said almost like a question.

“Yeah man,” Hunk nodded. “New suit, your grandfather's watch, blue bow tie—that's like most of it right there. Heck, I would have lent you anything for the something borrowed.”

“I already had them,” Lance repeated vacantly, leaning back against the wall. “I had everything.”

“Are you alright?” Hunk asked worriedly, taking a step forward and placing his hands on Lance's shoulders.

“This whole time,” Lance began in a daze. “I thought that I needed to get this objects for a good luck ritual for my wedding….but–but I had it all this whole time. I didn't have to do...any of this” he gestured vaguely around him.

“Wait did you—did you seriously just realize this now?” Hunk asked concernedly, tilting his head to try to meet Lance’s eyeline.

Lance's face slowly went from dazed and horrified into a sly smirk. “Nah, I'm just fucking with you man,” he grinned causing Hunk to frown. “Besides that shit doesn't count—the suit I had I buy for the wedding, I always wear my grandfathers watch— it had to be different things. Although I always intended for my something blue to be my bowtie.”

“You're an ass,” Hunk scowled releasing him and stepping back.

“Fair enough,” Lance shrugged. “But Keith likes my ass. In fact he sometimes—”  
“No stop,” Hunk interrupted.

“But you should hear it, it’s actually super interesting what he does with a—”

“NO no no no no,” Hunk stopped him again.

“It involves a can opener and a—”

“Oh my god stop,” Hunk covered his ears in horror.

“Ok ok,” Lance relented with a smirk. “I won’t ever tell you what Keith does that makes me see fucking stars bro. You just live your life ignorant of true bliss.”

“True bliss is when you finally get married and Keith has to be the one to deal with your nonsense and I can tap out,” Hunk said opening the door and walking out.

* * *

Back at the strip mall outside the bowling alley, Pidge and Keith had changed back into their own shoes and put on their tuxedos. They were currently waiting for Allura to come and collect them from the bowling alley and take them back to the wedding. Fleetingly, Pidge thought to herself how amusing they must look, dressed to the nines, standing outside of a bowling alley.

“I'm hungry,” Keith sighed, leaning back against the outside wall of the bowling alley.

“We'll be back soon,” Pidge said adjusting the wrench clip in her hair. “I’ll steal you something from the cocktail hour when we get back.”

“Fine,” Keith said stuffing his hands into his pockets. They stood silently for a few seconds before they heard both of their stomachs let out a low growl.

“Ok, maybe we get a snack,” Pidge suggested.

“Oh thank god,” Keith exhaled. He bent down and grabbed his off the ground and threw it over his shoulder. “I’m starving.”

“Look there’s a 7-Eleven over there,” Pidge said pointing across the parking lot at the corner of the stripmall to the green, white and oragne buliding. “We’ll get a snack and wait for Allura there, let me just text her and let her know where we’re gonna be.”

“Ok,” Keith said.

Pidge pulled out her phone and opened up her chat with Allura. She quickly typed out her message, eager to get something to eat herself. By the time she had finished and hit send, she looked back up at Keith so they could walk over there we she saw that he was already completely across the parking lot and opening the door to the 7- Eleven.

“Son of a bitch, he’s fast,” Pidge swore rushing to catch up with him. Inside her head she could hear Shiro’s voice warning her: _One, don't let him out of your sight._ “Fuck.”

Huffing and puffing, she pushed through the door to the 7-Eleven whipping her head back and forth looking for Keith. When her eyes finally landed on him, she could see him through the line of people at the register; he was listening unamused to someone who was block by the line of people, drinking from the largest Slurpee size cup available in his hand. _Two, Keith and sugary drinks don't mix well._

“Well shit,” Pidge frowned, walking in to get to Keith before she broke anymore of Shiro’s rules. But just as she took a step closer, the line of people shifted and the person who was speaking to Keith came into view. “Fuck, fuck, double fuck,” Pidge groaned internally as she stared at the 6’2” blonde goddess Nyma whom Keith was currently staring daggers into as he drank from his Slurpee.   _And three, for the love of god, don't mention Nyma._

“Hey guys, what’s—what’s going on over here?” Pidge said rushing over to them and trying to stand between them.

“Oh hi Pidge, long time no see,” Nyma said looking down at her, brushing her long blonde hair back over her shoulder. “Keith mentioned you were here with him too, how are you?”

“Fantastic,” Pidge said curtly, not wanting to engage too much in conversation. “Hey Keith let’s just pay and—”

“Wow you guys are dressed awfully nice for getting Slurpees,” Nyma commented with a smirk eyeing their tuxedos. “Is there some function that has Slurpees on the menu?”

“Yeah,” Keith bit out, quickly removing the straw from his mouth. “ _My wedding_.”

“Your wedding has Slurpees on the menu?” Nyma asked caustically.

“No,” Keith said annoyed. “That’s why I’m here,” he gestured vaguely around to the 7-Eleven.

“Oh I thought you might be a runaway bride or something,” Nyma laughed only making Keith look even more livid.

“Keith,” Pidge said quietly, knowing continuing there would only end badly. “We should go—”

“You know, it’s strange,” Nyma said tapping her forefinger to her lip as she thought. “I just heard earlier today from Rolo that Lance was getting married too. Isn’t that funny? What a small world.”

“Hilarious,” Keith said flatly, completely unamused.

“Who is he marrying?” Nyma asked.

“Are you serious?” Keith said darkly.

“What, is it someone I know? Who is it?” Nyma asked looking between them. Pidge, just took a small step back to be out of the way for Keith's blew up.

“Me!” Keith all but shouted. “He’s marrying me! We’re getting married!”

“Oh,” Nyma said taken aback. “I didn’t know you two were still together.”

“We are,” Keith bit out.

“That’s funny, he never struck me as the marrying type,” Nyma shrugged. “Or at least when we were together.”

“Was this before or after you cheated on him?” Keith said sarcastically. The false happiness of Nyma’s face dropped just enough for Pidge to see beneath the thin veneer to the her darkness underneath.

“Before,” Nyma responded flatly.

“Ah, I thought so,” Keith said with a fake smile. “Maybe he was just the not marrying you type.”

“Quite possibly,” Nyma said visibly annoyed. The small packaged baked good in her hand had been completely crushed by the force of her grip.

“Come on Keith,” Pidge said not bothering to hide her smirk. “Let’s pay and go.”

Keith put the straw of the slurpee back in his mouth and maintained eye contact with Nyma until he had turned around completely to walk over to the counter to pay. Pidge could feel Nyma’s gaze stabbing into their backs as they handed over to cash for the drink and some candy. Without even looking back, Keith and Pidge exited the 7-Eleven, just as Allura’s car pulled into the parking lot in front of them.

Ushering him towards the car before Keith could think of something else to say to Nyma, Pidge waved Allura over to them. She watched Keith out of the corner of her eye as he angrily drank from his large cup, opening the door him as he slid into the car with force. Allura eyed him from the rearview mirror glancing at Pidge for some sort of explanation for Keith’s apparent sulk, to which Pide just shook her head and sighed.

“So Keith would you like to explain why—”

“ _I can’t believe her!_ ” Keith shouted, interrupting Allura mid sentence and startling them both. “She’s so— and of all the fucking people, it had to be— oh my god I hate her so much.”

“Who?” Allura asked looking at Pidge for clarity.

“Fucking NYMA,” Keith bit out, gesturing wildly with his Slurpee and almost spilling it on both him and Pidge. “She fucking, opens her mouth and says shit that I’m like...who fuck–fucking asked you?”

“What’d she say?” Allura questioned, glancing up in the rearview mirror at Keith.

“That fucking Lance wasn’t fucking marriage material or that I wasn’t or something about getting married—I wasn’t exactly paying attention, I just knew she was being rude,” Keith huffed.

“Well, she and Lance have a history,” Allura tried to reason, “it’s possible that things are still a little touchy.”

“Ok, but like, fuck that though,” Keith scoffed. “The cheaters don’t get to be touchy about the people they cheated on.”

“Oh I agree,” Allura nodded. “She can rot in hell for all I care because she’s completely wrong, doesn’t stop from acting how she thinks is best.”

“Fucking BULLSHIT,” Keith cried out. “Oh my god I’m so mad.”

“Look, Keith it doesn’t matter what she says because Lance is marrying you and he loves you more than anything,” Pidge said trying so sound reasonable. “Lance dated her forever ago, he’s been with you for 6 times longer than he ever was with her. Let it go man, Lance did.”

“Well that’s because Lance is a good person and I, well, am an asshole,” Keith said tightly.

“You’re not an asshole,” Pidge laughed at Keith’s childish pout. “Lance would never marry an asshole. He’s too sweet.”

“I’m calling him,” Keith said holding the half empty cup in one hand, and fishing out his phone from his front pocket with the other.

“Um, I don’t think that’s such a good idea— and you’re doing it anyway,” Pidge exhaled annoyedly as Keith forcefully tapped Lance’s contact and brought his phone to his ear.

* * *

Unbeknownst to the both of them, Lance was only a few dozen cars behind them as they both drove back to the hotel. He was just in the middle of changing lanes when he felt his phone vibrate in pocket.

“Oh—oh fuck Hunk can you get that?” Lance said lifting his butt in the seat slightly towards Hunk wiggling his right leg slightly.

“Ok just stop, Lance stop squirming,” Hunk frowned as he worked to pull Lance’s phone out of his pocket as it continued to vibrate with a call. “Ok got it. Oh it’s Keith, do you want me to answer?”

“Yes please,” Lance smiled, happy to hear from his fiance again. “Put him on speaker.” Hunk nodded and complied, swiping to answer the call and then pressing the speaker icon. He held the phone up so Lance could speak. “Hey babe, what’s up.”

“You want to marry me right?” Keith’s voice said slightly aggressively from the speaker.

“Um, yes?” Lance said sharing a brief look with Hunk. “Babe, we went over this.”

“I know, I know but… I just… I just needed to hear it again,” Keith said shakily. Lance’s face dropped slightly as he focused on the road, feeling a mix of worry and affection for his fiance.

“Yes I want to marry you,” Lance said softly. “You’re the love of my life Keith and I don’t want to spend another day without you. Today has been enough,” he added jokingly.

“Yeah you’re right, and then some,” Keith laughed quietly on the other end. “Ok. I’m sorry for freaking you out again. I can’t promise I won’t do it again, but I won’t do it again today.”

“I’ll take that,” Lance smiled. “I love you.”

“I love you,” Keith said with a smile in his voice. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Yeah, I’ll see you soon,” Lance grinned feeling the swirling of butterflies in his stomach.

“Bye baby,” Keith said ending the call.

Hunk dropped his hand and locked the phone, placing it in the cup holder between them nearest to Lance. The silence in the car didn’t feel awkward but more like Hunk was giving Lance space to think. Lance took the few quiet moments to process the brief but emotional phone call.

“He’s so clingy,” Lance said facetiously, not even able to fight the love sick grin that spread across his face.

“What does that make you? Cling wrap?” Hunk huffed a laugh. “ _Why didn’t he text me back?_ ” he mimicked Lance from earlier. “Dude you’re marrying him, relax.”

“I know,” Lance grinned. There was a beat of silence. “Hey do you think we have time for one last pit stop?”

* * *

A few minutes later, Allura, Pidge, and Keith arrive back at the hotel. Pidge, feeling exhausted after hours of emotional turmoil, guided Keith into the lobby of the hotel and didn’t even help shelter him from well wishing family members who made a beeline for him as soon as they saw him in the lobby. Keith looked at Pidge for help as all sorts of members of his and Lance’s extended family came over to him like a slow, bengay smelling horde of zombies. But she just shook her head and let him get swallowed by the crowd as payback for her hours of babysitting.

She watched him get kissed on the cheek and poked and prodded and hugged and pulled and shook as he was congratulated and well wished and given advice. It became infinitely more amusing to watch the more lost and uncomfortable he grew under all the attention. Eventually, she gave in and rescued him from the crowd, throwing his bag over her shoulder and pulling him into the elevator and out of the grasp of anymore well meaning family members.

“Thank god,” Keith sighed, leaning his head back against the wall of the elevator. “I hate dealing with all the family all at once like that.”

“How are you going to deal with the reception?” Pidge asked with a smirk watching Keith’s tired and uncomfortable face.

“Large quantities of alcohol,” Keith said. He was quiet for a moment as a small smile grew on his face. “And Lance will be there. He good at that kind of thing.”

“What kind of thing?”

“The interacting and mingling with people easily thing,” Keith smiled. “People like him, he’s easy to talk to. Plus he always knows the right thing to say. He never makes me talk when I don’t know what to say.”

“Sounds like you’re in looooove,” Pidge teased, nudging him with her elbow.

“Shut up,” Keith laughed not even denying it.

The elevator came to their floor, and the doors opened. Pidge walked out, following Keith who made his way down the hall towards his room. With a small exhale, Keith opened the door and stepped inside heading straight for the bathroom. Stepping in close behind, Pidge tossed Keith’s bag onto the bed just missing the small note that read “Lance” on the front.

“So… now that you’re not running away,” Pidge began, raising her voice so that Keith could hear her in the other room. “What are you doing with the note?”

“The note?” Keith asked sticking his door into the doorway. Pidge gestured to the small note on the bed. “Oh that note.”

“Yeah the _I’m leaving you at the altar_ note,” Pidge said sitting down on the bed.

“Um,” Keith dipped back into the bathroom, and then came out drying his hands. “I should get rid of it.”

“Ya’ think?” Pidge said sarcastically.

“Ok, yeah,” Keith said walking over and grabbing the note from the bed. He paused for a moment, just looking at his own handwritten _Lance_ on the front before reaching over into his bag. Pidge watched as he fished around for a moment inside and then pulled out his lighter. With both in hand he walked over to the bathtub in the bathroom and held the note in one hand and lit the lighter with the other.

“Wait,” Pidge said before he could set the corner on fire. She stood in the doorway staring at the note. She could make out that there was writing on the inside folded part but she couldn’t read any of it. “What does it say?”

“Nothing that matters anymore,” Keith said softly. With that, he brought the flame to the corner of the note and the edge on fire. He dropped the note into the tub and they both watched in silence as the rest of the paper caught on fire and quickly burnt into ash.

* * *

Meanwhile on a slight detour just about a mile away from the hotel, Lance and Hunk stood outside on line at a small food shack on the side of the road. The line, which had been relatively long when they first stood there, was now exponentially longer.

“Well now that we’re here and I can smell the food I’m hungry too,” Hunk said as the person in front of them placed their order.

“Even if I’m not hungry and I come here, I can still eat like 56 empanadas,” Lance said watching the cook in the back skillfully fold and crimp empanadas with amazing speed.

“I almost just challenged you to a eating contest and then I remember it was your wedding day that probably isn’t a good idea,” Hunk said sheepishly.

“Maybe not today, but as soon as I come back from my honeymoon you’re so on,” Lance said pointing at Hunk as he stepped up to the order window.

“Hola, buenos dias— ¡Leandro! como esta?” the older lady in the order window said when saw it was Lance next on line. She quickly brushed her long brown hair back out her face and over her shoulder and smiled brightly at Lance.

“Hola Marielita,” Lance smiled leaning on the counter with his elbow. She smiled brightly at him and Hunk rolled his eyes at how Lance couldn’t help but be obnoxious. “¿Esta bien?”

“Si, como no. Pero mejor contigo,” she grinned.

“Claro,” Lance smirked. “Mira Marielita, dame cuatro de los de carne con pasas, cuatro de pollo, cuatro— wait Hunk do you think that Shiro and Allura are gonna want some?” he asked turning back to Hunk.

“Yeah probably,” Hunk nodded with a shrug.

“Ok, so dame seis de guayaba y queso, y dos maltas por favor,” Lance finished.

“Oh and can I have a pork one too?” Hunk interjected.

“Of course,” Marielita nodded writing that all down on the order ticket. She quickly reached down below the counter and grabbed two malta's out of the cooler and placed them on the counter. “Your food will be ready in a few minutes,” she smiled, beaming especially at Lance who grinned up at her as he handed her his money took the maltas and walked away and towards the small array of picnic tables.

“You are such a shameless flirt,” Hunk chided, taking his malta from Lance and sitting down across from him at a table.

“Ok yes, _but_ she gives me extra sauces when I do that,” Lance said popping the cap of his malta and taking a drink.

“You’re getting married in,” Hunk sighed when he looked at his watch, “ 2 and a half hours, wow. And you’re here flirting your way to extra sauces. What would Keith say to that?”

“Last time we were here Keith told me to compliment her hair so we could get some free yucca fries,” Lance said smugly.

“Oh my god did that work,” Hunk asked surprised and wishing they’d done that this time.

“Claro que si,” Lance nodded.

“Damn,” Hunk shook his head. He eyed Lance skeptically over his bottle. “You and Keith are kinda perfect for each other aren’t you?”

“I think so,” Lance shrugged with a satisfied grin on his face. “You know I, um...nevermind.”

“No, what is it?” Hunk asked.

“Nothing, it’s—it’s embarrassing,” Lance waved off dismissively.

“Come on, tell me,” Hunk said reaching over and nudging Lance’s shoulder.

“Ok,” Lance chuckled. “Uh… I um… I half jokingly proposed to him on our first date.”

“What?” Hunk laughed.

“Yeah,” Lance groaned covering his face in embarrassment. “...with a kitty plushie I won from the claw machine.”

“Oh my god,” Hunk covered his mouth in excitement.

“It had a little daisy collar around it’s neck,” Lance said turning more red.

“Oh my god why am I just hearing of this now!?” Hunk cried unable to control his laughter. “That’s amazing! That’s amazing, honestly. Incredible.”

“I don’t know why I just told you that,” Lance mumbled into his hands.

“Wait stop, the daisy earrings,” Hunk said shocked, putting the pieces together. Lance only sunk further into his seat. “Everything makes sense now.”

“Do you think it’s stupid?” Lance asked peeking out from his hands. “Do you think he’ll even remember?”

“Do I think that Keith will remember that his fiance proposed to him with a daisy collared kitty plushie on their first date yes I do so much I do,” Hunk nodded vigorously.

“Good,” Lance exhaled with a soft smile on his face. Hunk watched the tips of Lance’s ear burn red as he buried his face in his arms on the table.

“Hey um, Lance?” Hunk began as he thought of something.

“Yeah?” Lance lifted his head and looked up at him.

“Um, how uh… how did you finally propose to Keith anyway?” Hunk asked realizing his best friend had never actually told him how he did it, only that they were engaged.

“Oh, ha...funny story actually,” Lance said sheepishly, leaning back stretching his arms out in front of him.

“Wait, wait, let me guess,” Hunk said stopping Lance before he could go any further. “You either did something super grand and romantic, like you brought him to the top of skyscraper and or in the middle of a clear field to proposed to him under the stars,” Hunk told in a dreamy voice.

“Well actually…”

“Or, or you and Keith were talking and you said it as a joke and he said yes,” Hunk laughed.

“Colder,” Lance chuckled.

“Ok, hmm then— oh I know,” Hunk nodded knowingly, “you guys were doing it and you were like _oh Keith marry me_ as you came. Boom, nailed it.”

“Even colder man,” Lance laughed.

“Alright so tell me,” Hunk said. “How’d you propose?”

“Well,” Lance took a deep breath, “you know how we love our movies right?” Hunk nodded, recalling Lance and Keith’s giant bookshelf dedicated to DVDs. “So we had our usual Saturday night movie marathon, and we’re going through the Final Destination movies and we’re talking about how in the 3rd one Mary Elizabeth Winstead should have ended up with the guy from Smart House when he gives me the perfect segway.” Lance smiled softly to himself as he remembered. “He goes _I’d marry him just for that house to be perfectly honest_ , and then he got up to change the DVD for the next one.”

“Ok…” Hunk said waiting for how that was the perfect set up.

“Now, I basically had been waiting for the right segway this whole time,” Lance laughed. “In the box of the fourth one— actually in all of them,  didn’t want to take a chance— there was a little slip of paper that said ‘Turn Around’ in front of the DVD. So he sees that and turns around, and there I am, on one knee with the ring box in my hand.”

“Oh my god stop that’s so cute,” Hunk said covering his mouth with his hand.

“And I go, ‘ _I know I don’t have a smart house, but would you still marry me?’_ and then I opened the box with the engagement ring in it,” Lance said blushing slightly. “Needless to say he was stunned.”

“Damnit Lance that’s really cute, now I owe Pidge money,” Hunk shook his head in disappointment.  

“Wait what now?” Lance said confused. “You bet on my proposal?”

“I bet you proposed during sex,” Hunk shrugged. “It seemed like a safe bet.”

“I’m not sure whether to be flattered or insulted,” Lance narrowed his eyes at his friend.

“¿Por qué no los dos?” Hunk offered with a shrug.

* * *

 

Several lecture–filled minutes later, Keith sat on his bed in his hotel suite nodding and apologizing at all the right moments as Allura gave him the talking to she had been building up to ever since she discovered he’d left. Though clearly tired of apologising, he still listened to her reprimand him for leaving. Keith tried explaining to Allura that it was just a moment of doubt, but that had only seemed to make matters worse.

“You shouldn’t be having your moment of doubt hours before you’re supposed stand on the altar!” Allura reprimanded. “As it is I don’t know what you were doubting, this isn’t some rushed arranged marriage, you’re getting married to your boyfriend of six years!”

“I know, it was dumb. I’m sorry,” Keith said again, hoping they were nearing the end of the lecture. “But I’m here now.”

“Yes, yes you are,” Allura huffed crossing her arms. “And I’m not letting you out of my sight until I see you say _I do_.”

Keith was about to protest when they heard a knock on the door. Exchanging a glance they both turned their head and saw Pidge looking up at them both from where she sat texting cross legged on the bed next to him, equally as confused. Looking at back at the door, Allura opened her mouth to speak when they heard another knock.

“Hey, we have empanadas for the groom and you guys,” Hunk’s voice said from behind the door. “Also Lance wants to talk with him.”  

“Hi babe!” Lance’s voice said excitedly. Keith could practically see his dopey smile through the wooden door.

“He can’t see Keith before the wedding! It’s bad luck,” Allura said rushing over to the door and pressing her hands up against it, as if Lance was going to barge in.

“I won’t look, I’ll close my eyes. I promise,” Lance bargained.

“How about we stand back to back?” Keith offered getting up from the bed and walking over to Allura. “That way we don't see each other.”

“Yeah, good idea, let's do that,” Lance said from the other side of the door.

“Fine,” Allura said flatly, clearly unconvinced. “I'll be outside. Come on Pidge.”

“‘Kay,” Pidge said hopping off the bed.

Keith took a step back and turned around so he was facing the back wall, and his back was to the door. The sound of the door opening and Lance greeting Allura sent butterflies to Keith's stomach. After the emotionally tumultuous day he's had, the thought of just being in the same room with Lance sounded like heaven.

“Turn around, and take two steps backwards,” Allura instructed. “And...thanks for the food. I'm still annoyed at you though.”

“You wouldn't be you if you weren't,” Lance laughed, his voice no longer muffled by the door.

Keith felt his hair stand on end at the sound of Lance so close to him. He could smell the delicious savory empanadas and the so familiar heady warmth that was Lance. Excitement to be with his best friend in the whole world wasn't enough to describe how he felt as he heard Lance close the door behind him and take two steps back.

“Hey babe,” Lance said softly from behind him.

Keith heard the quiet crinkling of the food bag being set on the bed. He stuck out his hands himself feeling out for Lance. His hand came into contact with Lance's hands and they quickly threaded their fingers, pressing their backs together. All the tension in his body suddenly released and he felt completely at ease.

“Hey,” Keith exhaled softly, leaning his head back against Lance’s shoulder and closing his eyes. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” Lance said with a smile in his voice, his fingers tightening around Keith’s ever so slightly. “It feels so nice to hold your hand— even if I can’t see you right now.”

“Yeah, I know. I've had a… a pretty crazy day,” Keith exhaled.

“Same here,” Lance chuckled. “But I’ll tell you all about it later. Right now I just… I just kinda want to hold your hand.”

“Me too,” Keith swallowed, gripping Lance’s hand tighter. He squeezed his eyes shut, picturing in his mind the soft tan slopes of Lance’s face; his loving deep blue eyes and his crooked smile that never failed to make him fall just a bit more in love with Lance every time he saw it.

“Actually,” Lance began tentatively. Keith opened his eyes and tilted his head to the side to better hear him. He could see the the tips of Lance’s ears and a small part of his combed and slicked back hair; just seeing that little bit of him made it suddenly feel much more real. “I really want to kiss you.”

“But what about the whole thing about not seeing your spouse?” Keith said confused.

“We can just keep our eyes closed,” Lance suggested. “Technically we won’t be seeing each other.”

“That feels like a violation of the spirit of the tradition,” Keith observed with a smirk.

“If you don’t want to kiss me—”  
“No shut up, I never said that,” Keith interrupted Lance before he got upset. “I obviously want to kiss you. I always want to kiss you. I want to kiss you for the rest of our lives.”

“Are these your vows?” Lance laughed.

“Actually I think those are better than my vows,” Keith admitted with a humorless laugh. “I can’t write well under pressure.”

“So just say what you just told me,” Lance suggested. “Or just say how you feel.”

“But how am I supposed to do that with all of our families and friends staring me,” Keith asked nervously. “And with you watching me… I don’t want to disappoint you.”

“There’s nothing you could say up there that would disappoint me,” Lance reassured softly, turning his head to the side and nudging his cheek along Keith’s. “Well, maybe if you stood up there and told me you were leaving me at the altar,” he added with a laugh.  
“Ha, yeah,” Keith swallowed.

“But seriously,” Lance continued. “I don’t care what you say, you don’t even have to anything if you don’t know what to say. The fact that you’re there is more than enough for me. I love you.”

Keith could feel tears welling up in the corners of his eyes. A combination of his frustration at himself for ever having any doubts and his unyielding love for Lance rendered him speechless. A thousand thoughts raced in and out of his mind as he tried to come up with a way to tell Lance something just as comforting, but he couldn’t come up with something even fractionally similar. Everything he thought of to say didn’t seem like enough, and everything he wanted to say couldn’t be put into words.

“Can I admit something to you?” Keith began quietly.

“Yeah, of course,” Lance said with a note of concern in his voice.

“I’m...I’m not sure if you’ve always wanted to get married, or–or if this is something you wanted to do recently, or if you’re still unsure about it, but…” Keith paused for a moment, briefly focusing on the weight of Lance’s hand in his. “I’m so glad you picked me.”

“Keith...” Lance breathed.

“I just… I’m not really good with words and I don’t know how to say this properly but I’m just so happy you chose me,” Keith continued.

“Babe—”

“And I know I’m not perfect and I’m kinda fucked up and I’m selfish sometimes and I’m going to mess up like a lot but I don’t ever want you to think that I am not a thousand percent grateful that you decided that I was the person to spend your life with because I am, I’m—”

“Keith!” Lance interrupted. “Can you please turn around and close your damn eyes so I can kiss you?”

“Yes please,” Keith said, tightly closing his eyes and spinning in place.

With his eyes shut tight, Keith let go of Lance’s hands and blindly felt his way up Lance’s arms and up to his face, where he grasp either side of his cheeks with both hands. Keith felt Lance’s hand cup his jaw and the nape of his neck as they crashed their mouths together. The wave of familiarity and comfort washed over Keith as he melted into the kiss. Each brush of their lips and nip of teeth and swipe of tongue felt like home to Keith, a feeling he so desperately need. The soft but clinging way Lance held his face only told him that it was entirely mutual.

Completely involuntarily, Keith’s eyes’ fluttered open. He slowed his movements as his eyes swept across the bit of Lance’s face that he could see. Being so close to him, Keith could only see the bridge of Lance’s nose and his closed eyes, his soft eyelashes against his perfect tan skin. Not wanting to be caught opening his eyes, Keith closed them again, feeling comforted at getting to see him even just a piece of him.

Carefully they both pulled back, keeping their lips just a hair's breadth apart. Keith could still feel Lance’s soft breath on his face and he worked hard to keep his eyes closed because all he wanted to do was look at the soft, loving expression he knew was on Lance’s face. Edging the tips of their noses for a moment, they finally turned away, moving to stand back to back once more.

This time when Keith’s eye’s fluttered open he could only see the part of the hotel suite he was facing, the unmade bed and the night table next to it. However on the wall right above the bed was an art print that had a reflective frame; in that frame Keith could see the small reflection of the back of Lance’s head. Just seeing that little bit of him made it all feel more real as Lance’s hand slipped into his again, threading their fingers together.

“Keith,” Lance breathed quietly. “It wasn’t like I went and chose you— I mean, I guess I did make a choice— but what I’m trying to say here is…” Keith watched in the reflection and Lance tilted his head back and took a deep breath. “Everyone get’s there one, that one person who is absolutely perfect for them in every way. And babe, you’re my one.”

Feeling himself get emotional, Keith bit his lower lip so he wouldn’t make any obvious noises. Hearing his words said back to him by Lance was just as comforting as their kiss, perhaps even more so. He gripped onto Lance’s hands tightly as he continued to speak.

“You’re the one person who is perfect for me and I love you,” Lance said softly. “No one else. Just you. And If you still have doubts—”

“I dont,” Keith said quickly, shaking his head.

“But if you did,” Lance continued. “I would make it my life’s mission to show you that you’re perfect, and that I have to live up to your standards to be worthy of you.”

“You are,” Keith said. “You are and always have been.”

“Same with you,” Lance chuckled. “Please don’t doubt yourself anymore.”

“I won’t,” Keith said smiling to myself. “No more doubts.”

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading!!! I plan on doing a short epilogue to this in the distant future but like...eventually. 
> 
> come talk to be about it though on tumblr! i'm @daddyroboarm


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